Phyllis Landers

Phyllis Lois Wills Earle Landers, longtime Lewistown resident died Dec. 22, 2021, a month short of her 100^th birthday. Phyllis was born January 29, 1922, to Phillip and Laura (Kater) Wills in Decatur, IL, where she graduated from High School in 1940.  She graduated from Nurses Training in Jacksonville, IL, in 1944.

Phyllis married Harold Earle in 1945 and moved to Lewistown, where Harold ran a Texaco station on Main Street. She was a member of the First Presbyterian church and taught Sunday school for many years.  She volunteered at Blood Mobiles, and, as a member of the Daughters of the Nile, she often made clown dolls for the Shriner's Hospitals for Children.  Harold died in 1970 after they celebrated their 25^th anniversary in Hawaii. She later worked as a dental assistant for orthodontist Charles Thomas.

Phyllis married longtime friend Gene Landers in 1972 after he retired from managing the Sears store in Lewistown.  They enjoyed jazz concerts and festivals and activities of their grandchildren, as well as traveling to Las Vegas in the winter.  Gene died in 2000.

Phyllis is survived by a daughter Sandy Earle Gift of Topeka, KS, and son Jim (Jayne) Earle Dallas of TX; special stepdaughter Pat (Dean) Landers Zinnecker of Helena, MT and special stepson Rich (Meredith) Landers of Spokane, WA; grandchildren Tim Gift, Lexi Earle, Tina Molvig, Darin Zinnecker, Brook Landers and Hillary Landers; brother Joe Wills. 

She was preceded in death by husbands Harold Earle and Eugene Landers.

A graveside service and interment is being planned for late spring with the Cloyd Funeral Home assisting the family.

Friends are asked to make memorials to CMMC Hospice or to the charity of their choice and they may be left with the Cloyd Funeral Home.  Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.cloydfuneralhome.com.