Phyllis Ellen (Riherd) Wilber, 90 years of age, went to be with her Lord and Savior after a nearly two year battle with cancer. She was born in Nemaha, IA, on her grandparent's homestead, to Clyde Smith and Edna Louisa (Fanning) Riherd. When her mother died after the birth of an infant sister, Phyllis went to live with an aunt and uncle, Fae and Art Lemmertz of Nemaha, IA in 1931, graduating from high school in 1937 at the age of 16.
She attended beauty college and began her career in Sioux City, IA. At America's involvement in WWII, Phyllis joined the U.S. Navy, and during her service as a WAVE became the first to serve as a Navy beautician. Just before being inducted, she met her future husband, an Army recruit about to be sent to basic training, Eugene Charles Wilber, and they began a correspondence courtship while he served in the European theater and she served as a pharmacist's mate in several locations throughout the U.S., earning the rating of first class.
After discharge from the service and marriage in 1946, they settled in Des Moines, IA where their first two children were born. In 1949, as veterans, they qualified for some raw land in the Magic Valley of southern Idaho to homestead and farm for the next seven years, where they became modern day pioneers. Their next three children were born there, before they sold the farm and moved to Winlock, WA.
Phyllis owned and operated her own home beauty shop for the next 40 years while raising their family there.
After retirement they traveled as a couple extensively in the U.S., the Holy Land and Greek Isles, and were involved in Elderhostel programs in many states. Camping with their RV and wintering in the southwest was also included in retirement years. Phyllis and Gene volunteered for PDX Chaplaincy program, the local hospital, Volunteer Hospice, Twin City Senior Center, Retired Senior Volunteer Programs, and Republican precinct committee.
She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, the Rebekah IOOF Lodge, and along with her husband, charter members of the Veteran's Memorial Museum.
Through the years they were active members together, of their churches in Iowa, Idaho, and the Winlock Methodist Church, Salkum Community Church of the Brethren, and Cook's Hill Community Church. She faithfully served God and her church family wherever they lived. Her passions were her faith, her family, and her friends. Compassion, hospitality, and encouragement were her gifts. She never forgot a birthday or special occasion to celebrate, and her greatest joy was to gather with, cook for, and serve her large family, to entertain guests, and to hear her husband use his gift of singing. She was gifted in writing and wrote her life memoirs through many writing classes she took through the years. She was very patriotic and deeply loved the country she had served, taking great interest in flying the American flag.
She was preceded in death by her parents, infant sister, two brothers, one granddaughter, two sons-in-law, and her husband, Eugene C. Wilber, Sr. in 2005.
Services are under the direction of Cattermole Funeral Home, Winlock. Funeral services were held at Cook's Hill Community Church on Saturday, October 23, 2010. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cook's Hill Community Church, Lewis County Veteran's Memorial Museum, the Cancer Comfort Ministry, or The V Foundation for Cancer Research (Gastric).
[Published in Chronline on October 19, 2010]
She attended beauty college and began her career in Sioux City, IA. At America's involvement in WWII, Phyllis joined the U.S. Navy, and during her service as a WAVE became the first to serve as a Navy beautician. Just before being inducted, she met her future husband, an Army recruit about to be sent to basic training, Eugene Charles Wilber, and they began a correspondence courtship while he served in the European theater and she served as a pharmacist's mate in several locations throughout the U.S., earning the rating of first class.
After discharge from the service and marriage in 1946, they settled in Des Moines, IA where their first two children were born. In 1949, as veterans, they qualified for some raw land in the Magic Valley of southern Idaho to homestead and farm for the next seven years, where they became modern day pioneers. Their next three children were born there, before they sold the farm and moved to Winlock, WA.
Phyllis owned and operated her own home beauty shop for the next 40 years while raising their family there.
After retirement they traveled as a couple extensively in the U.S., the Holy Land and Greek Isles, and were involved in Elderhostel programs in many states. Camping with their RV and wintering in the southwest was also included in retirement years. Phyllis and Gene volunteered for PDX Chaplaincy program, the local hospital, Volunteer Hospice, Twin City Senior Center, Retired Senior Volunteer Programs, and Republican precinct committee.
She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, the Rebekah IOOF Lodge, and along with her husband, charter members of the Veteran's Memorial Museum.
Through the years they were active members together, of their churches in Iowa, Idaho, and the Winlock Methodist Church, Salkum Community Church of the Brethren, and Cook's Hill Community Church. She faithfully served God and her church family wherever they lived. Her passions were her faith, her family, and her friends. Compassion, hospitality, and encouragement were her gifts. She never forgot a birthday or special occasion to celebrate, and her greatest joy was to gather with, cook for, and serve her large family, to entertain guests, and to hear her husband use his gift of singing. She was gifted in writing and wrote her life memoirs through many writing classes she took through the years. She was very patriotic and deeply loved the country she had served, taking great interest in flying the American flag.
She was preceded in death by her parents, infant sister, two brothers, one granddaughter, two sons-in-law, and her husband, Eugene C. Wilber, Sr. in 2005.
Services are under the direction of Cattermole Funeral Home, Winlock. Funeral services were held at Cook's Hill Community Church on Saturday, October 23, 2010. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cook's Hill Community Church, Lewis County Veteran's Memorial Museum, the Cancer Comfort Ministry, or The V Foundation for Cancer Research (Gastric).
[Published in Chronline on October 19, 2010]
Phyllis Ellen (Riherd) Wilber, 90 years of age, went to be with her Lord and Savior after a nearly two year battle with cancer. She was born in Nemaha, IA, on her grandparent's homestead, to Clyde Smith and Edna Louisa (Fanning) Riherd. When her mother died after the birth of an infant sister, Phyllis went to live with an aunt and uncle, Fae and Art Lemmertz of Nemaha, IA in 1931, graduating from high school in 1937 at the age of 16.
She attended beauty college and began her career in Sioux City, IA. At America's involvement in WWII, Phyllis joined the U.S. Navy, and during her service as a WAVE became the first to serve as a Navy beautician. Just before being inducted, she met her future husband, an Army recruit about to be sent to basic training, Eugene Charles Wilber, and they began a correspondence courtship while he served in the European theater and she served as a pharmacist's mate in several locations throughout the U.S., earning the rating of first class.
After discharge from the service and marriage in 1946, they settled in Des Moines, IA where their first two children were born. In 1949, as veterans, they qualified for some raw land in the Magic Valley of southern Idaho to homestead and farm for the next seven years, where they became modern day pioneers. Their next three children were born there, before they sold the farm and moved to Winlock, WA.
Phyllis owned and operated her own home beauty shop for the next 40 years while raising their family there.
After retirement they traveled as a couple extensively in the U.S., the Holy Land and Greek Isles, and were involved in Elderhostel programs in many states. Camping with their RV and wintering in the southwest was also included in retirement years. Phyllis and Gene volunteered for PDX Chaplaincy program, the local hospital, Volunteer Hospice, Twin City Senior Center, Retired Senior Volunteer Programs, and Republican precinct committee.
She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, the Rebekah IOOF Lodge, and along with her husband, charter members of the Veteran's Memorial Museum.
Through the years they were active members together, of their churches in Iowa, Idaho, and the Winlock Methodist Church, Salkum Community Church of the Brethren, and Cook's Hill Community Church. She faithfully served God and her church family wherever they lived. Her passions were her faith, her family, and her friends. Compassion, hospitality, and encouragement were her gifts. She never forgot a birthday or special occasion to celebrate, and her greatest joy was to gather with, cook for, and serve her large family, to entertain guests, and to hear her husband use his gift of singing. She was gifted in writing and wrote her life memoirs through many writing classes she took through the years. She was very patriotic and deeply loved the country she had served, taking great interest in flying the American flag.
She was preceded in death by her parents, infant sister, two brothers, one granddaughter, two sons-in-law, and her husband, Eugene C. Wilber, Sr. in 2005.
Services are under the direction of Cattermole Funeral Home, Winlock. Funeral services were held at Cook's Hill Community Church on Saturday, October 23, 2010. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cook's Hill Community Church, Lewis County Veteran's Memorial Museum, the Cancer Comfort Ministry, or The V Foundation for Cancer Research (Gastric).
[Published in Chronline on October 19, 2010]
She attended beauty college and began her career in Sioux City, IA. At America's involvement in WWII, Phyllis joined the U.S. Navy, and during her service as a WAVE became the first to serve as a Navy beautician. Just before being inducted, she met her future husband, an Army recruit about to be sent to basic training, Eugene Charles Wilber, and they began a correspondence courtship while he served in the European theater and she served as a pharmacist's mate in several locations throughout the U.S., earning the rating of first class.
After discharge from the service and marriage in 1946, they settled in Des Moines, IA where their first two children were born. In 1949, as veterans, they qualified for some raw land in the Magic Valley of southern Idaho to homestead and farm for the next seven years, where they became modern day pioneers. Their next three children were born there, before they sold the farm and moved to Winlock, WA.
Phyllis owned and operated her own home beauty shop for the next 40 years while raising their family there.
After retirement they traveled as a couple extensively in the U.S., the Holy Land and Greek Isles, and were involved in Elderhostel programs in many states. Camping with their RV and wintering in the southwest was also included in retirement years. Phyllis and Gene volunteered for PDX Chaplaincy program, the local hospital, Volunteer Hospice, Twin City Senior Center, Retired Senior Volunteer Programs, and Republican precinct committee.
She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, the Rebekah IOOF Lodge, and along with her husband, charter members of the Veteran's Memorial Museum.
Through the years they were active members together, of their churches in Iowa, Idaho, and the Winlock Methodist Church, Salkum Community Church of the Brethren, and Cook's Hill Community Church. She faithfully served God and her church family wherever they lived. Her passions were her faith, her family, and her friends. Compassion, hospitality, and encouragement were her gifts. She never forgot a birthday or special occasion to celebrate, and her greatest joy was to gather with, cook for, and serve her large family, to entertain guests, and to hear her husband use his gift of singing. She was gifted in writing and wrote her life memoirs through many writing classes she took through the years. She was very patriotic and deeply loved the country she had served, taking great interest in flying the American flag.
She was preceded in death by her parents, infant sister, two brothers, one granddaughter, two sons-in-law, and her husband, Eugene C. Wilber, Sr. in 2005.
Services are under the direction of Cattermole Funeral Home, Winlock. Funeral services were held at Cook's Hill Community Church on Saturday, October 23, 2010. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cook's Hill Community Church, Lewis County Veteran's Memorial Museum, the Cancer Comfort Ministry, or The V Foundation for Cancer Research (Gastric).
[Published in Chronline on October 19, 2010]
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