Phyllis Erickson Smith, 88, of Ammon, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2015, at The Gables. She was under hospice care and was also assisted by loving family members.
Phyllis was born June 26, 1926, in Archer, Idaho, to Herman Erickson and Gladys Edna Blackburn Erickson. By two years of age she was singing at any opportunity. She learned how to work in the fields with her brothers at an early age, and gained a strong work ethic learning how to thin beets, ride the derrick horse, shock grain, and milk cows. At age 11 she started playing piano for Primary, then for school dances and plays. She also became a piano accompanist for soloists and church choirs.
She grew up and attended schools in Archer, graduating from Madison High School in 1944. She also attended Ricks College and earned an Associate’s Degree in Education.
On September 18, 1946, she was married in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple to an Arizona native who was a returned missionary and a World War II Veteran named Melvin Lehi Smith. They had seven children, Orkell, Reuel, Melauna, Kristen, Desiree, Farlyn, and Janalee.
Phyllis and Melvin moved a lot in their early years together to Idaho communities of Moscow, Shelley, then to Mesa, Arizona, and back to Idaho Falls, Lincoln, then to Ukiah, California, and back to Shelley, Idaho, where they lived for 36 years before relocating to Ammon in 2000. Throughout her life, Phyllis was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and homemaker. She taught her children and grandchildren and many other youth in the Shelley and Jameston areas how to play the piano.
She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in the Primary, Relief Society, and held many positions related to music, including her favorite role as an organist. She and Melvin served an LDS mission to San Bernardino, California, from the fall of 1988 to the spring of 1990.
She enjoyed sewing, quilt making, yodeling, keeping a journal, scrapbooking, giving humorous readings, and playing old fashioned games with her family.
Phyllis is survived by her daughter, Orkell (Larry) Mortimer of Rigby, ID; son, Reuel (Lynet) Smith of Ammon, ID; daughter, Melauna (Ken) Anderson of Centerville, UT; son, Kristen (Connie) Smith of Idaho Falls, ID; daughter, Desiree (Robin) Russell of Sandy, UT; son, Farlyn (Yoshiko) Smith of Magna, UT; daughter, Janalee (Steve) Tobias of South Jordan, UT; 28 grandchildren and 74 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Smith; parents, Herman and Gladys Erickson; sisters, Edna (Earl) Briggs, Ada Erickson, and Olive (Eddy) Smith; brothers, Eugene (Viola), Alvin (Althea), Henry (Deveda), Howard (Frona), Bernarr (Mattie), Norman (Bessie), and Stanley (Ethlyn) Erickson; great-grandson, Jaxon Smith; and great-granddaughter, Saydie Anderson.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2015, at the Ammon LDS 18th Ward (4363 East 17th Street), with Bishop Brian Call officiating. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 7-8 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home East Side (963 S. Ammon Road) and Monday from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Burial will be in the Archer-Sutton Cemetery.
The family expresses appreciation to the staff of The Gables of Ammon and Aspen Home Health and Hospice for their kindness and compassion.
For more information about Phyllis go to: http://upperlevelgen.blogspot.com/search?q=phyllis+erickson
Phyllis was born June 26, 1926, in Archer, Idaho, to Herman Erickson and Gladys Edna Blackburn Erickson. By two years of age she was singing at any opportunity. She learned how to work in the fields with her brothers at an early age, and gained a strong work ethic learning how to thin beets, ride the derrick horse, shock grain, and milk cows. At age 11 she started playing piano for Primary, then for school dances and plays. She also became a piano accompanist for soloists and church choirs.
She grew up and attended schools in Archer, graduating from Madison High School in 1944. She also attended Ricks College and earned an Associate’s Degree in Education.
On September 18, 1946, she was married in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple to an Arizona native who was a returned missionary and a World War II Veteran named Melvin Lehi Smith. They had seven children, Orkell, Reuel, Melauna, Kristen, Desiree, Farlyn, and Janalee.
Phyllis and Melvin moved a lot in their early years together to Idaho communities of Moscow, Shelley, then to Mesa, Arizona, and back to Idaho Falls, Lincoln, then to Ukiah, California, and back to Shelley, Idaho, where they lived for 36 years before relocating to Ammon in 2000. Throughout her life, Phyllis was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and homemaker. She taught her children and grandchildren and many other youth in the Shelley and Jameston areas how to play the piano.
She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in the Primary, Relief Society, and held many positions related to music, including her favorite role as an organist. She and Melvin served an LDS mission to San Bernardino, California, from the fall of 1988 to the spring of 1990.
She enjoyed sewing, quilt making, yodeling, keeping a journal, scrapbooking, giving humorous readings, and playing old fashioned games with her family.
Phyllis is survived by her daughter, Orkell (Larry) Mortimer of Rigby, ID; son, Reuel (Lynet) Smith of Ammon, ID; daughter, Melauna (Ken) Anderson of Centerville, UT; son, Kristen (Connie) Smith of Idaho Falls, ID; daughter, Desiree (Robin) Russell of Sandy, UT; son, Farlyn (Yoshiko) Smith of Magna, UT; daughter, Janalee (Steve) Tobias of South Jordan, UT; 28 grandchildren and 74 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Smith; parents, Herman and Gladys Erickson; sisters, Edna (Earl) Briggs, Ada Erickson, and Olive (Eddy) Smith; brothers, Eugene (Viola), Alvin (Althea), Henry (Deveda), Howard (Frona), Bernarr (Mattie), Norman (Bessie), and Stanley (Ethlyn) Erickson; great-grandson, Jaxon Smith; and great-granddaughter, Saydie Anderson.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2015, at the Ammon LDS 18th Ward (4363 East 17th Street), with Bishop Brian Call officiating. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 7-8 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home East Side (963 S. Ammon Road) and Monday from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Burial will be in the Archer-Sutton Cemetery.
The family expresses appreciation to the staff of The Gables of Ammon and Aspen Home Health and Hospice for their kindness and compassion.
For more information about Phyllis go to: http://upperlevelgen.blogspot.com/search?q=phyllis+erickson
Phyllis Erickson Smith, 88, of Ammon, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2015, at The Gables. She was under hospice care and was also assisted by loving family members.
Phyllis was born June 26, 1926, in Archer, Idaho, to Herman Erickson and Gladys Edna Blackburn Erickson. By two years of age she was singing at any opportunity. She learned how to work in the fields with her brothers at an early age, and gained a strong work ethic learning how to thin beets, ride the derrick horse, shock grain, and milk cows. At age 11 she started playing piano for Primary, then for school dances and plays. She also became a piano accompanist for soloists and church choirs.
She grew up and attended schools in Archer, graduating from Madison High School in 1944. She also attended Ricks College and earned an Associate’s Degree in Education.
On September 18, 1946, she was married in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple to an Arizona native who was a returned missionary and a World War II Veteran named Melvin Lehi Smith. They had seven children, Orkell, Reuel, Melauna, Kristen, Desiree, Farlyn, and Janalee.
Phyllis and Melvin moved a lot in their early years together to Idaho communities of Moscow, Shelley, then to Mesa, Arizona, and back to Idaho Falls, Lincoln, then to Ukiah, California, and back to Shelley, Idaho, where they lived for 36 years before relocating to Ammon in 2000. Throughout her life, Phyllis was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and homemaker. She taught her children and grandchildren and many other youth in the Shelley and Jameston areas how to play the piano.
She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in the Primary, Relief Society, and held many positions related to music, including her favorite role as an organist. She and Melvin served an LDS mission to San Bernardino, California, from the fall of 1988 to the spring of 1990.
She enjoyed sewing, quilt making, yodeling, keeping a journal, scrapbooking, giving humorous readings, and playing old fashioned games with her family.
Phyllis is survived by her daughter, Orkell (Larry) Mortimer of Rigby, ID; son, Reuel (Lynet) Smith of Ammon, ID; daughter, Melauna (Ken) Anderson of Centerville, UT; son, Kristen (Connie) Smith of Idaho Falls, ID; daughter, Desiree (Robin) Russell of Sandy, UT; son, Farlyn (Yoshiko) Smith of Magna, UT; daughter, Janalee (Steve) Tobias of South Jordan, UT; 28 grandchildren and 74 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Smith; parents, Herman and Gladys Erickson; sisters, Edna (Earl) Briggs, Ada Erickson, and Olive (Eddy) Smith; brothers, Eugene (Viola), Alvin (Althea), Henry (Deveda), Howard (Frona), Bernarr (Mattie), Norman (Bessie), and Stanley (Ethlyn) Erickson; great-grandson, Jaxon Smith; and great-granddaughter, Saydie Anderson.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2015, at the Ammon LDS 18th Ward (4363 East 17th Street), with Bishop Brian Call officiating. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 7-8 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home East Side (963 S. Ammon Road) and Monday from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Burial will be in the Archer-Sutton Cemetery.
The family expresses appreciation to the staff of The Gables of Ammon and Aspen Home Health and Hospice for their kindness and compassion.
For more information about Phyllis go to: http://upperlevelgen.blogspot.com/search?q=phyllis+erickson
Phyllis was born June 26, 1926, in Archer, Idaho, to Herman Erickson and Gladys Edna Blackburn Erickson. By two years of age she was singing at any opportunity. She learned how to work in the fields with her brothers at an early age, and gained a strong work ethic learning how to thin beets, ride the derrick horse, shock grain, and milk cows. At age 11 she started playing piano for Primary, then for school dances and plays. She also became a piano accompanist for soloists and church choirs.
She grew up and attended schools in Archer, graduating from Madison High School in 1944. She also attended Ricks College and earned an Associate’s Degree in Education.
On September 18, 1946, she was married in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple to an Arizona native who was a returned missionary and a World War II Veteran named Melvin Lehi Smith. They had seven children, Orkell, Reuel, Melauna, Kristen, Desiree, Farlyn, and Janalee.
Phyllis and Melvin moved a lot in their early years together to Idaho communities of Moscow, Shelley, then to Mesa, Arizona, and back to Idaho Falls, Lincoln, then to Ukiah, California, and back to Shelley, Idaho, where they lived for 36 years before relocating to Ammon in 2000. Throughout her life, Phyllis was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and homemaker. She taught her children and grandchildren and many other youth in the Shelley and Jameston areas how to play the piano.
She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in the Primary, Relief Society, and held many positions related to music, including her favorite role as an organist. She and Melvin served an LDS mission to San Bernardino, California, from the fall of 1988 to the spring of 1990.
She enjoyed sewing, quilt making, yodeling, keeping a journal, scrapbooking, giving humorous readings, and playing old fashioned games with her family.
Phyllis is survived by her daughter, Orkell (Larry) Mortimer of Rigby, ID; son, Reuel (Lynet) Smith of Ammon, ID; daughter, Melauna (Ken) Anderson of Centerville, UT; son, Kristen (Connie) Smith of Idaho Falls, ID; daughter, Desiree (Robin) Russell of Sandy, UT; son, Farlyn (Yoshiko) Smith of Magna, UT; daughter, Janalee (Steve) Tobias of South Jordan, UT; 28 grandchildren and 74 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Smith; parents, Herman and Gladys Erickson; sisters, Edna (Earl) Briggs, Ada Erickson, and Olive (Eddy) Smith; brothers, Eugene (Viola), Alvin (Althea), Henry (Deveda), Howard (Frona), Bernarr (Mattie), Norman (Bessie), and Stanley (Ethlyn) Erickson; great-grandson, Jaxon Smith; and great-granddaughter, Saydie Anderson.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2015, at the Ammon LDS 18th Ward (4363 East 17th Street), with Bishop Brian Call officiating. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 7-8 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home East Side (963 S. Ammon Road) and Monday from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Burial will be in the Archer-Sutton Cemetery.
The family expresses appreciation to the staff of The Gables of Ammon and Aspen Home Health and Hospice for their kindness and compassion.
For more information about Phyllis go to: http://upperlevelgen.blogspot.com/search?q=phyllis+erickson
Family Members
Spouse
Siblings
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Herman Eugene "Gene" Erickson
1905–1953
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Joseph Alvin Erickson
1907–1956
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Henry Erick Erickson
1909–1997
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Howard Blackburn Erickson
1911–1987
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Bernarr Blackburn Erickson
1913–1972
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Norman Blackburn Erickson
1915–2011
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Edna Erickson Briggs
1917–2004
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Stanley Blackburn Erickson
1919–1985
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Ada Erickson
1921–1929
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Olive Gladys Erickson Smith
1923–2013
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