Phyllis Ruth Kettner (Davis) was born on August 18th, 1932, in Bell, California. Phyllis was born to Edgar and Bessie May Davis, the fifth of their seven children. Phyllis enjoyed the best of both worlds by having older siblings Roy, Edna, Leo, and Dorris; and her younger siblings, Lois and Joyce.
Phyllis was a member of Camp Fire and Rainbow Girls which allowed her to engage in outdoor activities and develop her service skills. Her outdoor prowess developed at a hunting camp with her father and her sister Joyce. At the camp, Phyllis and Joyce would cut wood unknowingly disturbing the hunters nearby. She was also, in an after-school athletic program and played the violin. As a teenager, Phyllis and her sisters, Lois and Joyce, enjoyed attending Cowboy dances. A favorite Saturday pastime was going to the movies, which Phyllis really enjoyed and would often stay home from visiting her Grandma just to see the latest show.
From a young age, Phyllis was ambitious beginning with saving her money to purchase a favored croquet set and a toboggan--which became the Kettner family toboggan many years later. An important event in her life occurred during high school. The birth of her niece, Linda, provided Phyllis with the opportunity to travel alone to Arkansas and help her oldest sister, Edna. This trip opened her eyes to her passion for helping others, leading to her desire to become a nurse. This was complemented by her interest in science and ability to do slide rule math.
Phyllis attended the University of Southern California, earning her Nursing degree in 1955. After graduating, Phyllis worked at The Los Angeles County General Hospital, eventually running the Communicable Diseases ward. While living in Los Angeles, Phyllis attend a YMCA dance where she met her future husband, Albert Kettner. In September of 1961, Phyllis and Al were married in Glendale, California. Over the next few years they welcomed the new additions of Craig and Steven. 1966 was an exciting year, as the Kettner family moved to a new home in Orange, California. Two years later, Karen joined the family.
Phyllis enjoyed gardening, playing cards and traveling the world with her family. Her travels included four continents, Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America and numerous countries. She especially enjoyed getting to travel with her siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces, and cousins. In 2011, she was able to visit Great Britain with all of her children and grandchildren at the same time. It was a trip she often spoke about with great pleasure upon returning home.
Phyllis was a hands-on grandmother to Jennifer, Kyle, and Lauren. She enjoyed everything about their lives and even when they were not together, she always wanted to know everything happening with them. Looking back on her life, Phyllis was a role model to her children and grandchildren. Phyllis was loved for her sense of humor, determination (or was that stubbornness?), generosity, and willingness to always help.
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