John Wesley Phipps

© Cheyenne Star

Submitted by: Wanda Purcell

John Wesley Phipps, 63, died at Colorado General Hospital Friday from pneumonia. Mr. Phipps had spent some time in the local hospital lately and had just entered the Denver hospital.

John Wesley Phipps was born July 1, 1903 at Rankin, Oklahoma the son of Ernest C. and Emma Scrivner Phipps.

He came to Las Animas with his parents in a covered wagon when he was 12 years old.

He was first married to Angela Phillips, who died in 1955. On March 8, 1957 he married Mrs. Feryl Rutan at Grand Junction.

He had lived at Cripple Creek for years where he worked as a miner in the Golden Cycle and the other gold mines. He had also sold mining supplies and had done some uranium mining.

He returned to Las Animas in 1962 and had helped Fred Stough at his ranch south of Las Animas where he ran a few head of cattle.

Besides his wife, Feryl, he is survived by his mother, Mrs. Emma Mallett of Bent County Nursing Home; one daughter, Mrs. Mary Ella Bolander of Independence, Missouri; two step children, Jack Rutan of Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Geraldine Robins of Louisville, Ohio; one brother, Bert Phipps of Watsonville, California; three sisters, Mrs. Pauline Ninkovich of Menlo Park, California; Mrs. Ina Tieman of Aurora, Colorado; and Mrs. Anna Raber of Oakland, California; and eleven grandchildren; as well as other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon in the Powell Griffy Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Wesley Schlotzhauer, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church officiating.

Mrs. Forrestine Odell sang "In The Garden" and "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere". Mrs. Iola Woods was the organist.

Casket bearers were Leo Huff, George Tull, Lloyd Adams, C. Frank Brown, Efton Lockhart and Jack Meinert.

Burial was in the Las Animas Cemetery with Powell-Griffy Mortuary in charge of arrangements.