Phyllis Evelyn Brashear

Phyllis Evelyn Brashear, 96, passed away at Luther Park Sandpoint on Thursday, December 20, 2012. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Friday, December 28th in the Clark Fork Methodist Church with Pastor Bill Warren officiating. Visitation will precede the services from 9:30 to 11:00 A.M. in the Church. Following the service, Phyllis will be cremated, and burial will take place during a family service in the spring. Phyllis was born in Clark Fork, ID on January 22, 1916 to Anton and Marie (Erikson) Hazelroth. She attended school in Clark Fork, entering high school at the age of 12. After graduation, she attended Kinman Business College in Spokane. As a young woman, Phyllis worked as a librarian’s assistant, sold tickets to movies at the Jewel Theatre in Clark Fork, and worked as a part-time postal clerk. At the age of 25, Phyllis married Joseph Brashear on August 30, 1941 in Sandpoint Luther Church which then stood in the area of today’s Sandpoint Super Drug. Joe was an Army officer and had to return to his base soon after the wedding. After the birth of their first son, Phillip, Phyllis and their young son followed Joe as the army moved him to bases in Louisville, Kentucky, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, then Renton, Washington. Their longest stay was in Adak, Alaska which Phyllis and Joe especially enjoyed. They made lifelong friends in Adak, and often talked of the activities and experiences they had while stationed there. After Joe left the service, the couple once again settled in Clark Fork where Phyllis became “Mom” to three more children. Her life centered on her home and family. Holidays, birthdays and visits from friends and relatives became very special events – usually celebrated and enjoyed around the dining room table. Her children fondly remember picnics and campouts at Sam Owen’s Park, hikes up to Antelope Lake, huckleberry picking outings, trips into Sandpoint to the Panida movies, and special excursions such as train rides, attending the drag races in Spokane, or trips to California and Disneyland. In 1963, Joe and Phyllis became owners and operators of the Hiway Grocery. Phyllis’ attention was then divided between the store and home. She and Joe made many wonderful friends and acquaintances while running the store. They sold the business in 1975. Phyllis loved to travel and she was able to take tours of New England and Canada. She and Joe eventually bought a home in Overton, Nevada and became snowbirds. They both enjoyed the travel to and from Nevada as much as they did the warm Nevada climate. When she wasn’t traveling, raising children, working in the store, or canning or preserving fruits and vegetables from Joe’s gardens, Phyllis enjoyed reading or writing letters to friends and family. Most friends, however, will tell you that her hobbies were playing bridge, pinochle or bingo. And, she tried to never miss a Gonzaga basketball game on TV. Phyllis lost her beloved Joe in April 2006. She moved to her new home at Luther Park in 2010 where she could read and play bridge and bingo to her heart’s delight. Phyllis made many friends throughout her life; however, she stated that she had no idea that someone in her 90’s could make as many good friends as she did at Luther Park. Besides her friends, Phyllis is survived by her children: Phillip (and Susan) Brashear of Coos Bay, OR; Diane Copley of Sandpoint; Bruce Brashear of Atherton, CA; and Tim (and Gail) Brashear of Clark Fork, ID. She is also survived by four grandchildren including Erika Cummings of Seal Beach, CA, three great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Phyllis Rice and Wilma McCord, and many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband Joe, brother and sister-in-law Kenn and Ellen Hazelroth and their son Dennis; and brothers-in-law Robert Rice and Chet McCord. Memorial may be made to the Clark Fork Methodist Church or the Clark Fork Food Bank in memory of Phyllis Brashear.