Joseph E. Phillips (1889-1938)

PHILLIPS, HOLDER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 4/22/2014 at 19:32:44

From Nevada Journal December 14, 1938

Joe Phillips Was Laid to Rest In Nevada Cemetery

The Nevada Church of Christ was well filled Tuesday afternoon with relatives, friends and neighbors gathered to pay a final tribute of respect to the memory of Joseph E. Phillips, 56, longtime leading building contractor of Nevada, who had died so suddenly Saturday afternoon from an attack of uremic poisoning.

The service was in charge of Rev. C. V. Pence, pastor of the family and the music was by Mrs. Pence and Mrs. Lee Cook, members of the choir of that congregation. Burial was in the Nevada Cemetery.

Attending in a body were members of the building trades and the Newton Lumber yard representatives and the pallbearers were from his closer business associates. They were Glen R. Newton, P. K. Mathison, B. Fred Nelson, B. M. Soper, Carl E. Stone and Carl Irish.

The large concourse of people who had gathered at the rites was a testimony of the regard in which Mr. Phillips was held and the wide extent of his acquaintance over the county.

The following life sketch of the deceased was read by the minister during the service:

"Joseph E. Phillips, youngest son of George E. and Mary Phillips, was born in Tama, Iowa, on Jan. 22, 1889 and departed this life Dec. 10, 1938 at the age of 19 years, 10 months and 17 days.

"After living at Tama until seven years of age, Mr. Phillips went with his parents to Buffalo Center, Iowa, where the family lived until 1911, when they came to Nevada, where Mrs. Phillips lived until his death on Saturday, December 10.

"On Feb. 9, 1916, Mr. Phillips was united in marriage with Miss Renax Holder. To this union three sons were born who with the wife and daughter in law, Mrs. Marion Phillips, are left to mourn the passing of the husband and father. The three sons are Marion Joseph, Maurice Francis and Lawrence Edwards, all at home. Mr. Phillips left two brothers, Harlan J. of Quincy, Ill., and Frank of Oxford Junction, Iowa.

"Having learned the carpenter trade as a very young man, Mr. Phillips started contracting and building and became a master builder, having built over one hundred houses in and near Nevada.

"Mr. Phillips was a friendly man and generous. Little children were his friends. he was lover of the beautiful. He will be greatly missed in the community where he contributed much in the building of the city. He leaves a vacant place against the sky.