First, you were not just a wife to the man you married in 1926 at the age of nineteen.
You were also his helpmate and companion. You bore 14 children
for Dad and raised ten of them. There were seven boys and seven girls and
you raised five of each. But now there are nine of us left. You buried one son (Harry)
about a year before we lost Daddy.

You cooked, cleaned, sewed, worked in the fields and garden, washed clothes
on a scrub board, and had a large family. Mom, you always found time
in your busy day for each and every one of us. You were not just a mother to us,
you were our best friend as well. You had a way of making
each of us feel as tho we were the most important person in the world.
You taught us right from wrong and helped us to see the good in everything around us.

I saw you take time even for your neighbors. If one of our
neighbors needed anything at all, you were always the first to lend
a helping hand. It didn't matter what the cause or circumstances, you were there.

It wasn't just your own kids who called you "Mom", but all the kids
we grew up with called you "Ma Phillips". You never showed
any difference between any of us, as all the kids were "your" kids.

I remember the smell of the clothes you washed by hand and hung on the line
in the sun to dry, they smelled so fresh and clean. Oh! and let's not forget
the sweet smells from your kitchen. You always had something cooking
on the stove. Those aromas were enough to make everybody hungry.
That was one thing you never did, was let your family go hungry, cause
you always had plenty, even for those "unexpected" guests at mealtime.

You walked tall and strong, but were humble at the same time.
You never failed to have a smile and a kind word for everyone
you met. Mom, you were so much more than just a wife, mother and friend.
You were the light in every life you touched. I can still hear the hymns
that you sang or hummed as you worked. I smile and think of you each
time I hear one of them. Your favorite song was "Just One Rose".