Frank E. Phillips

Frank Ernest Phillips, age 94, passed away on the morning of Friday, October 12th, 2018, due to complications of Parkinson’s disease at Hyland Crossings in Sun Prairie, WI. The third of ten children, Frank was born on June 24th, 1924 in Indianapolis, IN to Iva Pearl Bryant and Mathew Phillips. During the Depression, the family moved in 1931 to the Ladysmith, WI area where they farmed. In 1938 they moved to a farm near Tony, WI and in 1940 to a farm south of Weyerhaeuser. Frank graduated the top of his class in 1942 from Weyerhaeuser High School. After high school, Frank got a job at a creamery in Juneau, WI. After his father’s death in 1944, Frank took over the family dairy farm and supported his seven younger siblings. He married Sonna Mae Purintun on April 30th, 1947 in Chetek, WI. They continued to farm until 1996 when they sold the farm and moved to Cameron, WI. In 2017 they moved to Sun Prairie, WI. Frank was an avid reader-newspapers, history, biography and good novels. He loved discussing the issues of the day and playing the devil’s advocate. He enjoyed baseball, football, bowling and golf, often discussing sports with his brothers. He enjoyed thinking “out of the box”. He loved sketching old farmsteads and baseball players, snacking on chocolate-covered nuts and freshly roasted Spanish peanuts, dancing with his wife at old dance halls and imbibing a few whiskey sours.

Frank and Family

Frank is survived by his wife of 71 years, Sonna; children, Jacqueline Martindale and partner Jerry Neis, and Faye Sharp Phillips, both of Sun Prairie; Gary and Sandy (Gronski) Phillips of Chetek; Rick Phillips and partner Barb Jeffries of Cincinnati, OH; and Wayne and Pamela (Preston) Phillips of Hudson, WI; grandchildren, Matthew (Heather) Martindale; Meagan Strobl; Travis (Yuko) Phillips; Tracy Phillips; Bryant Phillips; Bennett (Dawn) Phillips; Kelli Hoover; Sean Sharp; Katie Preston (Yohn Versteegen); Eli Phillips; and Lisa (Dan) Ballweg; ten great grandchildren; brothers, John Phillips of Stamford, CT and James (Dorothy) Phillips of Grand Rapids, MI; sisters, Frances Dobrowolski of Chetek/Sarasota, FL; Rachel (Richard) Livingston of Davis, CA; Marjorie Fitzgerald of Phillips, WI; and Patricia Kahut of Minong, WI, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Preceding him in death were his parents; sisters, Mary Jane Ette, Catherine Bachleda and Gertrude “Trudy” Frentz; and infant brother, Marion.

Funeral Services

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Friday, October 19th at Maranatha Ev. Free Church in Rice Lake with Pastor Tony Nord officiating and interment following at Lakeview Cemetery in Chetek. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Thursday at the Rausch-Lundeen Funeral Home in Cameron and also for the hour prior to services at the church on Friday. Arrangements are with Rausch-Lundeen Funeral Homes, Cameron & Dallas.

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