Edna passed away on December 12, 2023, surrounded by her family. She was born in 1918 in Great Falls, MT and would have been 106 next month. She was born of parents who immigrated from Czechoslovakia with her father hiding all his money in his shoe to escape the War. They entered the U.S. through Ellis Island and settled in Belt, MT, where her father worked in the mines. Soon after, her parents homesteaded on a farm outside of Fairfield where they raised eight children. Her mother taught her to bake, cook, sew, garden, and milk the cows. It wasn’t an easy life, but with love, they all thrived and that built character.
Edna graduated from Augusta High School, and soon after she met her husband, Lawrence “Larry”. They raised five children while living in Lincoln, Kalispell, Cut Bank and finally settling in Great Falls. Edna was a stay-at-home mom until her youngest child entered school. She then worked in food services and retail clothing. After retirement, she volunteered with Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies, and the local hospital gift shops. She always had so much energy and love to share. After the death of her husband, she married Wendell (Flip) Phillips at the age of 88.
She is survived by her children, Linda Vosberg of Great Falls, Betty Soltesz (Mike Patterson) of Great Falls, Thomas Minckler (Abigail Hornik-Minckler) of Billings, Wanda Diffley (Peter) of Easton, MD; stepsons, Ron Phillips (Sher) of WA, and Rick Phillips (Cindy) of HA. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Mary Morris; seven brothers and sisters; husbands, Lawrence Minckler and Wendell Phillips; son, James Minckler; sons-in-law, Daryl Soltesz and Jerry Vosberg; and stepson, Gordon Phillips (Sandy). She was “Granny” to 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren and was soon to become a great-great- “Granny”.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
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