Octa Elizabeth Phillips, 100 years old, formerly of Green City, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at Sullivan County Memorial Hospital in Milan.
Octa was born on the family farm in rural Sullivan County on February 5, 1923, to Virgil and Minnie (Thompson) Ayers. On October 25, 1941, she married James Lee “Chigger” Phillips. They were married for 72 years until his passing in 2013. She was also preceded in death by two sisters, Crystal (Ernest) Darr and Gretchen Kent, and a brother, Coolidge (Tressa) Ayers.
Octa is survived by one son, Robert and his wife Marlene Phillips of Green City; granddaughters, Cloe and her husband Wade Billington of Salisbury, Missouri, and Jessica Phillips and fiancé Quincy Neighbors of Kirksville, Missouri; great-grandchildren, Kaylin and Finley Billington; a brother, McKinley and his wife Elinor Ayers of Kirksville; several nieces, nephews, and cousins; and all her extended family and friends she made over the last few years at Sullivan County Long Term Care.
At the age of 17, Octa started teaching at one-room schools, including Clearview and Thompson Schools. In 1958, she began teaching at Milan C-II, teaching for a total of 43 years. In 1965, she received her master’s degree in Education from Northeast Missouri State Teacher’s College. Octa also sold World Book Encyclopedias door-to-door and earned the title of Top Salesperson for the company in 1979, earning her family a trip to Hawaii. James and Octa also had a farm for many years, farming with horses. They had 470 head of sheep, 100 head of cattle, pigs, and many chickens.
Octa was a devout member of the Green City United Presbyterian Church, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Missouri Teachers Association, and the Missouri Retired Teachers Association.
Funeral services for Octa will be held at 3:30 pm, Saturday, August 12, 2023, at Ruschmeier-Smith Funeral Home in Green City. Burial will follow at the Green City Cemetery. A visitation is scheduled for one hour prior to the service, starting at 2:30 pm, at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Green City Cemetery.
