Phyllis Douglass Merchant

Phyllis Arlene Douglass Merchant passed away peacefully on July 12, 2010, after a long struggle with dementia and bone cancer. She was born in Loutre, MO, near Mexico, MO, on October 24, 1926, the only child of Mertie Loyal Douglass and Margaret Bower Douglass, but lived most of her life in Brownsville, TX, until moving to Austin to attend the University of Texas as one of the first women to be accepted as an engineering major. While attending engineering classes, she met Arthur Henry Merchant, and they married on February 7, 1948. He preceded her in death on January 20, 1990 and she missed him terribly the rest of her life. It is a comfort to her daughters that they are together again.

A talented seamstress earlier in her life, in later years she turned to quilting, and was a charter member of the Austin Quilt Guild and the International Quilt Guild, often volunteering at Guild shows and drafting patterns for the Guild newsletters. She will be remembered for her kindness, sense of humor, ready friendship, fierce independence, Scotch frugality and a trace of Missouri “show me” stubbornness.

She is survived by her daughters, Ann Merchant Mills and husband, John Mills, of Manor, TX, and Nancy Merchant Saxon of Spring, TX; three grandchildren, Michael Sanders and wife Michelle, Lisa Favors and husband Robert Favors, and Carrie Saxon Hampe and husband Troy Hampe; eight great grandchildren; three cousins, Frank Wiseman of Harlingen, TX, Rosemary Cochran of Weslaco, TX and Charles Wiseman of Leander, TX along with many wonderful, loving and supportive friends.

Viewing will be Saturday 4-6 p.m. followed by visitation from 6-8 p.m. at Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home, followed by funeral services at Weed Corley Fish on Sunday July 18th at 2:00 p.m. with burial to follow at Oakwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Cancer Society.