A memorial service for Phyllis (Means) Phillips, age 80, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will be at 11 a.m. Monday, April 11, at First Lutheran Church of Albert Lea. The Rev. John Holt will officiate.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.

Interment will be in Graceland Cemetery.

Phyllis died Friday, Feb. 25, 2005, at the Silver Pines Living Community, Cedar Rapids, where she had been a resident since January 2004.

Phyllis was born on Feb. 4, 1925, in Albert Lea the daughter of Henry and Stella (Madson) Means.

She was baptized at First Lutheran by the Rev. Martin Anderson in 1925, and was confirmed by

the Rev. Sigurd T. Sorenson in 1940. She graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1943.

She was co-editor of the Albert Lea High School Tiger and continued with close ties to her graduating class.

Following graduation she moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where she lived until her death.

She attended Coe College and was employed as a draftperson at Collins Radio and Howard R. Green, where she was &uot;the first woman hired as a highly skilled draftsperson, who eventually managed many company projects,&uot; as printed in that company’s publication in 2001.

She was united in marriage to Paul Gillilan, who preceded her in death.

She married James Phillips in 1967.

She was a member of First Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids.

She volunteered as a tutor in the public school system and also served many years as an election judge.

She is survived by her husband, Jim, who lovingly cared for her during her long years of illness; a son, Jeff Phillips and wife Bonnie, and grandson, Sean, of Riverview, Fla. Also survived by two sisters, Beverly Boone and Joy (Byrine) Christian, and two brothers, Dean (Bud) Means (special friend Bev Henry) and Frank Means of Albert Lea; brothers-in-law, LaVerne Wolff of Glenville, and Byrine (Bye) Christian of Albert Lea;

and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents-in-law; first husband; sisters, Donna Estebo and Mildred Wolff; brothers-in-law, Chessle Boone and Sigurd Estebo; and sister-in-law, Lora Means.

Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association, or to the donor’s choice.