Major Maurice Francis Phillips (1918-1957)

PHILLIPS, ASKELSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:13

From Nevada Evening Journal November 6, 1957 (page 3)

Major Phillips Laid to Rest On Monday

Funeral services for Major Maurice F. Phillips were held from the Nevada Christian church Monday afternoon at 2 p. m. with the Rev. W. R. Tuttle officiating.

Mrs. Gail Piper sang "The Lord's Prayer" at the close of the service She was accompanied by Mrs. Dan Huhn at the organ.

The many floral offerings were arranged by Mrs. Lee Cook, Mrs. Merrill Marshall, Mrs. Robert Karges and Mrs. Adolph Kleinschmidt.

The local Masonic Lodge No. 99 A. F. & A. M. attended the service in body, as did the N. H. S. class of 1936. Also in Attendance were a large number of relatives and friends.

The casket bearers were Keith Eubanks, Kenneth Nelson, Horace New, Bob Karges, Joe Wheelock, Jr. and Elmer Williams.

Burial was in the Story City cemetery with Masonic services at the graveside conducted by W. E. Horine.

Obituary

Maurice Francis Phillips was born in Nevada, Iowa on the 23rd day of June, 1918, the son of Joseph and Rena Phillips. He with his family attended the Christian church, in which he as a young man was baptized and received into membership.

Maurice graduated from the Nevada high school in 1936 and in 1941 enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After completing Cadet training, he was commissioned a pilot in 1943. Like other men of the armed forces, he ha been stationed in many places of the world. Some of these Air Force bases were in the United States, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, England and Japan.

On July 17, 1942, Maurice Phillips and Sarah Askelson were united in marriage at the McCord Air Force Base, Tacoma, Wash. To this union were born four children, Michael, James, Marilyn and Steven.

While stationed at the Itazuke Air Base in Japan, he became quite ill and was hospitalized on the 18th of September. In October he was evacuated back to the United States and on the 10th entered the Fitzsimmons Hospital in Denver, Colo., death taking him for further assignments in this life on Oct. 30.

He was preceded in death by his father.

Maurice leaves his wife and four children, his mother, Mrs. Rena Phillips of Nevada, two brothers, Marion J. of Fall Creek, Wis. and Lawrence E. of Tulsa, Okla., also other close relatives and many friends.