Delphine Coon Phipps

DELPHINE ELIZABETH (DEWAR) COON PHIPPS, 90, of Cherokee, Iowa passed away Friday, December 16, 2011 at the Cherokee Villa Nursing & Rehab Center. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, December 20th, at 10:30 a.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa. Local graveside services will be conducted 10:30AM, Wednesday, January 25, 2012 in the Pack River Cemetery. A viewing for family and friends will be held at Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel, Tuesday, January 24, 2012 from 6:00-8:00PM. Delphine was born October 15, 1921 to Robert and Ruth (Hunter) Dewar in Cherokee, Iowa. She graduated from Cherokee Wilson High school in 1937. She received her teaching certificate and taught school in a one room in rural Cherokee County until she met and married LaVerne Coon on June 29, 1941 at South Sioux City, Nebraska. They moved to Paul, Idaho where they had three children; Lynn Walter, Larry Robert and Lorinda Ruth. In 1950 they bought a farm in the mountains of North Idaho and they had two more children, Harold LaVerne and Lucille Irene. In 1964 Delphine returned to college to renew her teaching certificate. She also earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Idaho. Delphine was very active in her church. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She taught school in Sagle Elementary and Sandpoint Junior High, retiring in 1987. Her husband LaVerne passed away in 1987 and she returned to Cherokee to care for her father. On August 22, 1990, she married her high school sweetheart Thomas Phipps. They traveled and enjoyed their time together. Tom passed away in 2004. Delphine was a former 4-H leader, a member of the Cow Belles in Idhao, D.A.R in Cherokee, Iowa and the A.A.U.W. in Cherokee. She enjoyed painting, hand crafts and gardening. She was preceded in death by her two husbands, her parents, one son Larry Coon, a sister Doris Hasselstrom and one great grandson. Delphine is survived by her children: Lynn (Marilyn) Coon of Sandpoint, Idaho; Lorinda (Gale) Howe of Kuna, Idaho; Harold (Gayle) Coon of Nampa, Idaho; Lucille Whaley of Cherokee, Iowa; a daughter-in-law Rita Startin of Ellensburg, Washington; a sister Belle Schleef of Cherokee, Iowa; 23 grandchildren, 54 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.