Wilma was born on July 23, 1928, in Paonia, Colorado, from the union of Leo E. and Mary Lillian Wolfe. She spent her childhood in Paonia and later moved to Palisade, Colorado.
It was in Palisade that Wilma met W. George Phillis at the Peach Harvest Festival in Palisade. They were married on June 7, 1947 in St. Mary’s, Kansas, and later moved to Leadville, Colorado. Wilma worked as a cook at the Climax Hotel, and later at the Copper Mountain Ski Resort.
The family moved to Grand Junction, Colorado in 1981, where W. George preceded Wilma in death on February 9, 1993.
She was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Grand Junction; members of the Church will always remember her detailed crochet work of The Last Supper, which still hangs there.
Wilma leaves behind three daughters, Wilda M. Miller, Wanda M. Allen, and Wanita M. Peterman, all of Grand Junction; nine grandchildren; twenty-four great- grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Harry and Leonard; and a granddaughter, Renee.