Earl Phillips

Earl Phillips
AMERICAN FALLS - Earl James Phillips, 81, of American Falls, Idaho, passed away on Saturday, June 2, 2007, of natural causes.
Earl was born on August 1, 1925, in Aberdeen, Idaho, to Ross and Karna Phillips. He was the fourth child of nine children. Earl attended school in Aberdeen and Hagerman, Idaho, and joined the Navy in 1943. Earl and his brother, Dean, both attended boot camp at Camp Farragut on Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho. He was honorably discharged in 1946.
He married the love of his life, Sarah Mae Bedwell, in Pocatello on October 15, 1951. They were blessed with six children, 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Together, Earl and Sarah bought a small farm and dairy north of Springfield, Idaho on Liberty Road. They sold the farm and dairy in 1960, and leased farm land from several different locations in Southeast Idaho before settling in American Falls in 1976.
Earl worked for Bob Knudsen and Knudsen Poor Farms for many years until his retirement in 1984. He really enjoyed working with Bob, Chuck and the gang. He still enjoyed going to the farm and visiting with them until his death.
After Earl retired, he and Sarah started traveling to Arizona for the winters. While in Arizona they met a lot of very nice people from all over the United States and Canada. Earl would always take a couple of sacks of potatoes with them to share with their new friends to give them a real taste of Idaho. He would always have to get back home in the spring so he could help Bob and Chuck plant the next crop, and would stay until harvest was complete.
Earl enjoyed many things; the most important was his family. He loved horses, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling and four-wheeling. His greatest joy was having a grandchild or a great-grandchild on his lap.
Earl is survived by his wife, Sarah; two daughters, and three sons, Debra Phillips, American Falls, Jim and Jalene Phillips, Pocatello, Allen and Susan Phillips, Kathy and Harry Smith and Robert Phillips all of American Falls; two sisters and three brothers, Glen and Margene Phillips, Arco, Jay and Betty Phillips, American Falls, Merlon and Elaine Phillips, Chubbuck, Maxine McCune, Downey, and Darlene Grimm, Blackfoot; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ross and Karna, one son, David, two brothers, Roy and Dean, and one sister, Vera.
The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lakeview Ward, 800 S. 2120 W., Springfield, Idaho. The visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at Davis-Rose Mortuary, 170 Idaho Street, American Falls, and from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday at the church prior to services. Interment will be at the Springfield Sterling Cemetery, with military honors presented by the American Legion.