Phyllis E. Priest, 93, of North Platte, passed away on March 25, 2021, at Linden Court, North Platte, Nebraska.
Phyllis Eilene Priest, a child of God, was born in a sod house in Ringgold, Nebraska, on Feb. 4, 1928, to Charles E. “Ed” and Hazel “Winters” Daly.
Her first year of school she attended at the Cheyenne River School, in Wyoming, then they moved back to McPherson County, Nebraska, where Phyllis was raised and graduated from McPherson County High School, Tryon, Nebraska, with the class of 1945. She had earned a threeyear teaching certificate and taught school as soon as she graduated from McPherson High.
On Oct. 18, 1946, she married Hermel Priest at her parents’ home in Tryon. Hermel died June 15, 1995, at his home in North Platte. To this union five children were born, Sherry, Wanda, Rita, Rusty and Janice.
Phyllis gave her life to Jesus on March 1, 1959, and was baptized in the Saline River in Missouri. She was a member of the First Christian Church in North Platte and the American Legion Auxiliary.
Along with teaching school, Phyllis worked with Hermel at their service station in Missouri and when they moved back to North Platte, she went along with Hermel on his daily bulk milk route.
She’ll always be remembered by the beautiful quilts she made, her love of music and her infamous rolls that everyone loved. Her children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren were so precious to her and she loved seeing them and spending time with them. Phyllis will always be remembered as a wonderful mother and a great friend to many.
She leaves behind her 3 daughters, Sherry (Larry) Dawson, Wanda (Pat) Simonson, Janice Huber; son-in-law David Thieman; brother, Byron Daly; sister, Vera (Bill) Jividen; sister-in-law’s Evelyn Daly and Dee Daly; step-sister, Arlene (Don) Kelso; 15 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren, 2 step-great-grandchildren, along with many other relatives and friends.
Besides her husband Hermel, she is preceded in death by their son, Rusty; daughter, Rita; son-in-law, Mick Huber; Dad and Mama, mom Myrtle; brother’s, Emory, Eldon, Clinton, Dick; step-sister, Mona Smith; sister-in-law’s, Wanda Daly, Meredieth Daly; brother-in-law, Kenneth (Maxine) Priest.
Memorials are suggested to Great Plains Hospice or the donor’s choice in Phyllis’ memory.
Services were held Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at First Christian Church with Rev. John Stone officiating. Burial followed at Miller Cemetery near Tryon.
Adams and Swanson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.