Phyllis Vought

Phyllis Hemenway Vought was born at home in Alexandria, South Dakota on May 14, 1925 to Katherine Wierenga and Russell Hemenway. She attended Grammar School in Vivian, South Dakota through the second grade. Following that year, her family moved to Oroville, California, where Phyllis continued her schooling and graduated form Oroville High School. She was active in the USO and began to attend dances sponsored by the USO. On one of those occasions, she met Henry Calvin Vought from New Rochelle, New York. He was in the Army and was stationed at Beale Air Force Base in California. They hit it off, fell in love and married on March 11, 1946. They moved to Greenville, South Carolina where Henry had a construction business with his father. They built custom homes all around the Greenville area. Henry and Phyllis began attending the Northgate Baptist Church as active members eager to grow in their Christian faith. The finally had a daughter, Carolin Jean. In 1959, the family moved back to California to live in Marysville and then later in Sacramento. Henry established himself as a self-employed builder along with another friend and together they concentrated on building custom homes in the north east area of Sacramento, along the American River. Phyllis and Henry had joined the El Camino Baptist Church in Sacramento. They were both regular members, but Phyllis began taking on teaching Sunday School in Sacramento and eventually became the Sunday School Superintendent. She was extremely knowledgeable about motivating students and using a variety of teaching skills to get class participation form everyone. Following Henry's death in 1969, Phyllis became part of a traveling team that would visit different cities and churches to instruct them on how to implement an effective Sunday School Department. This gave her the confidence in herself and their desire to see more cultures and peoples of the world. She began traveling with friends which soon became a passion for her. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Lichtenstein and France were some of the countries that she was proud to say she had been to. Many of her travels were centered on designing, facilitating and teaching Sunday School Leaders in making their programs more successful and

growing churches into implementing more intensive and meaningful Bible Study. She worked with several Southern Baptist churches in the Rapid City area to teach their Sunday School workers how to grow through new members and committed to follow up with visitors, how to plan succcessful fellowships and organize effective nominating committees. The other things she enjoyed besides her insatiable desire to travel were her grandchildren.

She was able to move to Rapid City right after Lloyd and Carolin brought the twins home, and she has been a big part of their life ever since. They loved to bake cookies together and play card games, except "Old Maid". Many times they created their own games using pots, pans, pillows and whatever else was nearby. Grandma spent quit a few vacations with us...even camping vacations! But, she was the proudest when she was watching Brady and Emily play in their sports activities, school plays, musical performances and award assemblies.

Her love for her Savior was the most important part of Phyllis' life. She always enjoyed serving Him wherever that may have been. Whether it was working in the church kitchen, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, leading Bible studies, working on committees, counseling others, hosting fellowships in her home or acting as Sunday School Superintendent, as long as it was being done for Him, she was satisfied. Phyllis was blessed with many friendships in her life, a majority of those from the years she spent working in churches.

Phyllis' immediate family includes her daughter and son-in-law, Carolin and Lloyd, her twin grandchildren, Brady and Emily, all of Rapid City, South Dakota; one sister, Betty Rold of Richvale, CA and a niece and nephew, also of CA.

We praise the Lord for the life she led and the example she was to all those who knew her.

A Funeral Service will take place on Monday, March 19, 2012 at 1:00pm at Mount Vernon Memorial Park, 8201 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks, CA. Services entrusted to Mount Vernon Memorial Park and Mortuary.