Steve Phillip

Happy Birthday, Steve

November 30, 1950

married Kathy, 3/29/79

one son - Daniel

one daughter - Stephanie

Probably graduation picture of Steve, about 1968.

Sorry, Steve, this is all I could find for a picture of you. Hopefully by next year, I will do better.

Willie Walter Phillip

Grandpa Phillip - Willie Walter Phillip

(Posted November, 2008)

born 9/25/1878, Rosedale IL, 130 years ago

married 8/6/1908 Fremont NE, 100 years ago

died 3/6/1953 Alliance NE, 55 years ago

married almost 45 years

fathered four sons - Kenneth Kermit, Jean John, Robert Ray, Leo Lane

17 grand children (10 boys, 7 girls)

Sharon was 10 years old when Grandpa Phillip (Willie) died. This is what she remembers about Grandpa Phillip:

• He sold honey, mattresses, clothespins with hooks on them, and address plates that could be seen when car lights shone on them (the clothespins were amazing - read the story below)
• He taught me to tie my shoes
• He taught me to write my name in cursive
• He taught me many string tricks - crow's feet, cradle, etc.
• He often dressed up, went out the back door of 507 Sweetwater, and came knocking on the front door when we (the young grandchildren) were there to scare us when we opened the door.
• He always gave every one of us grandchildren, at an early age, tastes of honey on his table knife.
• He always mixed up butter and honey to spread on bread. Still, to this day, that is the only way I eat honey.
• He drove a very old car (Grandma Alma Phillip) didn't like to ride in this car.
• He made the parchesi board that we all used to play parchesi
• He also made the 9-men morse board that we played - some may not know this game.
• Bill Phillip was born in August after Willie died in March. William (Bill) was named after Willie"

The only pictures I have been able to find are from 1940 - 1943. I'm sure there are others, but I'll have to hope someone else will post them if they have more pictures or......maybe I will gather them up on my travels back to Nebraska some time. Notice the Hat...every picture Willie is wearing what appears to be the same hat....except for the one inside picture. Probably he never wore a hat inside a home - wouldn't that tradition be nice to have been carried on.

1940 - Leo, Alma Willie








1940 - Willie with his mattress making machine






1942 - Willie, Jary, Ray












1943 - summer, Willie, Sharon, Ray











1943 - Jean, Maxine, Alma, Willie, Bernadine, Janice, Bob, Sharon, Ken, Harriet, Ray and Jary in the front





1943 - Willie, Sharon, Alma, Janice, Jary and Ray in front










1943 - Willie, Alma, Ray, Sharon











Any corrections to these pictures??? Let me know. Please post a comment for all to see or email me. singo2@verizon.net

Clothespin story - Mom and I could hang up diapers faster than anyone in the neighborhood (she may have been faster because I was so young). The clothespins had a clip on them. Mom (probably Maxine, Bernadine, and Zetta did the same) would take diapers out of the washer, clip them all together with the pins, and then go outside to the clothesline and just clip them on the metal line. It was so fast and easy - and particularly good in the winter time when it was too cold to be out for long. She also did the same with all the clothes, not just diapers. I just used that as an example, because so many diapers went through our washer with the four smaller brothers - Dick, Bill, Jim, and Paul. Picture is thanks to Judy Mann who still has Maxine's clothespins.

Jared Mann

Happy Birthday, Jared Phillip Mann

born 11/26/1977, Alliance, NE

son of Judy Phillip Mann and Larry Mann

occupation: Rancher/Farmer

married Melanie Jo Paradeis, 8/19/2000

one son - Keaton Phillip Mann, b 3/22/2006

Pictures are of Jared, in no particular order - all are pictures from the age of four to 18.

age 7

age 8

age 4








age 9

age 12


age 14









age 11

age 13

age 15










age 16

age 18

age???








I spent a lot of time getting this post ready for Jared's birthday. Then I looked at December and found how many more posts would be coming up. Sorry, everyone. You won't get a full spread like Jared and Jean did. I really do have a life and won't have time to do more than a Congratulations and one picture of anyone having an event from here on out.

Thanksgiving 1975 additional pictures

I hope everyone is planning a great Thanksgiving. I found a couple more photos of the last all Phillip Thanksgiving that I remember.

One of Leo & Zetta - evidently none of their kids were able to make it in 1975.

One of the Jean Phillip family when Cory was young and there was no Jared.

A little bit of Vifquain History

• Photos - double click on photos to larger photo. Also, to read the articles, you can press Ctrl button and mouse wheel to increase photos even more.
• Comments - Anyone can leave a comment at the bottom of this post - please do. It will make the blog more interactive and fun.

• Grandma Alma Phillip - Alma Mary Vifquain b 4/19/1891 Springview NE, d 1/3/1975 Alliance NE

• Father – Elmer Francis Vifquain, b 6/20/1861 Crete NE, m 3/1/1886, d 5/1/1917 Springview NE

• Mother – Alma Theresa Hamblet, b 11/26/1868 Omaha NE, d 8/3/1948 Puebelo CO (car accident), buried Valentine NE

• Grandfather – Jean Baptiste Victor Vifquain, b 5/20/1836 Brussels, Belgium, m 9/1/1857 Tipton MO, d 1/7/1904 Lincoln, NE (see newspaper article below) Footnote 3 – Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, 97th Illinois Infantry. Place and date: At Fort Blakely, Ala., 9 April 1865. Entered service at: Saline County, Nebr. Birth: Belgium. Date of issue: 8 June 1865. Citation: Capture of flag. Found at this site http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html Also more information on Victor at this site, check out Parts 1, 2, and 5 for info. http://www.kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/saline/saline-p1.html and here http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/manuscripts/family/vifquain.htm

• Great Grandfather – Jean Baptiste Vifquain,

• b 6/24/1789 Turmay France (now Belgium), d 8/31/1854 D Irvi France (near Paris) enlisted in Napoleons Calvary 1804 at age 16, decorated "Knight of Legion of Honor" 1833, built first railroad from Brussels to Liege. Footnote 1 - enlisted in Napoleons Calvary 1804 at age 16, decorated on battlefield near Eylan France by Napoleon I as "Knight of Legion of Honor" for acts of bravery. In 1812 at Waterloo was decorated "Officer of the Legion of Honor". In 1833, built first railroad in Europe from Brussels to Liege. Was Inspector General of Bridges and Boats. Other military honors – "Belgium Officer of the Order of Leopold the First", Chevalier of the Lion Merlansois", and "The Red Eagle of Prussia". It was written "that he served his country long and untiringly with his talent and skills and left as monuments his numerous public works" . Found one web page that shows him designer of the Wissekerke Castle Footbridge http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0020524

• Great Grandfather – John Frances Veulemans, b 2/24/1800 Cappelen Belgium, m 5/24/1824 Kersbeck Belgium, d 1/23/1853 Tipton MO Emigrated from Antwerp Belgium in 1835 to New York. Cambe by boat up the Hudson River through Erie Canal to the Ohio River, then up Red River, Louisiana to Natchitoches. Stayed until 1840 when three youngest children died due to climate. Went to Versailles and then Round Hill (Cooper County) near Tipton MO. Died of Pleurisy.
  
  Photos - double click on photos to larger photo. Also, to read the articles, you can press Ctrl button and move mouse wheel to increase photos even more.
  

General Vifquain's Charmed Life article mailed to Sharon in about 1964 by Grandma Alma Phillip.

Sharon got these next three items while in Salt Lake City.

Description of Victor, and signature

Documents dated 1/31/03

Document dated 1/31/03, document lists Victor as Dead on this one, but shows he died 1/7/1904 at the bottom of the form.

Questions to Answer - Answers to Amuse You

This "Questions to Answer - Answers to Amuse You" blog is to attempt to stir up some enthusiasm and interaction in the Phillip Blog. I see by the "traffic feed" that some of you are reading the blog. That's great. Thanks. The "traffic feed" that I have noticed has shown that people from seven different states have come to the blog - NE, CA, IL, WA, WY, ID, and GA. There could have been more but, honestly, I haven't been on the blog 24/7, so may have missed some of you. I have heard from Julie in California and Nick (Jim's & Kathie's son) in Wyoming by email. Both of them mentioned that they will post some time in the future. Of course, Mom (Harriet) and my immediate family have read the blog - but then they have to, don't they? Just to keep me happy!!

So...I wanted to share with you some answers to some questions that were posed to Dad (Ken) in the later years of his life. During our family dinners, we would all take turns asking Dad (Ken) questions from a very cool book called "Dad, Share your life with me" written by Kathleen Lashier. Hopefully all of you will also answer the questions either by a comment at the end of this blog, an email to me (singo2@verizon.net) , or writing another post to this blog. If blogging is not your thing, you can email me and I will post your answers on the blog.

Ken Phillip's answers - Pictures are of Ken in 1910 and 2001.

Question #1 - What bones have you broken and how?

• Break #1 - "Broke my left leg - Mom was driving the buggy. It was wintertime. I was running along behind, hanging on. Then I decided to get back in the buggy. My left foot slipped on the axle. I heard it break. I was in a cast from the waist down."
• Break #2 - "I dislocated my right and left ankle and left wrist. Horse that weighed a ton - I got between him and the barn - bent my hand back onto my arm."
• Break #3 - "I broke my right ankle playing baseball. I jumped and came down in a hole."
• Break #4 - "I broke my left ankle roller skating on a portable rink. The floor came apart."

"I had to put them all back in place by myself. I only went to the doctor with one of the breaks."

Question #2 - How much do you remember paying for an ice cream cone? "We always had home-made ice cream, no cones."

Question #3 - Is there anything you have now that you kept from your childhood? "I had a watch and chain that my Mother gave me. I think I have it but not sure. It still runs."

Question #4 - Tell about board games and card games you played as a youth. "Board games - Nine Man Morse and Parchesi. Card game - Flinch."

Question #5 - Tell about a time when you got lost. "Oh, yes, in a car - at Uncle Elmer's".

If anyone out there knows the "rest of the story" to Question #5, let me know.

Hopefully, some of you will be able to get the answers to these questions from your parents - Jean & Maxine, Bob & Bernadine, and Leo & Zetta. I don't think any of them have internet.

OK, in all fairness, I'll answer the questions here.

Sharon Phillip Singleton's answers

• Q#1 - What bones have you broken and how? I have broken two bones in my life....after the age of 30 and before I was 50 (as you can see, it is the memory that goes at the age of 65). I broke my hand in the donut shop mixer - I had turned it off, but obviously was in too much of a hurry - I put my hand in to scrap down the frosting before the mixer had stopped. The second bone was in my foot - I just simply slipped down a couple of carpeted steps. I didn't think I had done anything serious to the foot; so I waited about six weeks before going to the doctor - by then the doctor confirmed that the foot was broken, but almost healed so nothing was done.
• Q#2 - How much do you remember paying for an ice cream cone? I don't really remember what we paid, but do remember that when Dairy Queen in Alliance came to town when I was young, we thought it was the best ice cream in the world. In our travel blog I mentioned an ice cream place, Cold Stone Creamery, that is fun...just to mix up flavors and try new kinds of ice cream...I do remember the cost there for the smallest ice cream cone was about $3.50.
• Q#3 - Is there anything you have now that you kept from your childhood? I still have my doll, clothes that were all made by Mom (Harriet), and the suitcase for all the clothes. It sits in an extra bedroom in my home that has been designated as the "kid's play room and exercise room". Unfortunately for the grandkids, the doll is a "just look, don't touch" item. Unfortunately for my weight, the exercise equipment seems to be a "just look, don't touch" item also.
  
• Q#4 - Tell about board games and card games you played as a youth. I particularly remember parchesi. Mainly because Grandpa Phillip (Willie Walter) made the board, pieces and leather cups for throwing the die (see the picture of the board on the left, leather cups on the left of board, pices and die sitting in front - remember if you ever want to see a picture better, just click on it. I also remember when we had the first Phillip family reunion in Pullman WA in 1989, that I brought out the parchesi board to play a few games. The cousins who remembered playing the game when they were younger all thought the board was a lot bigger then than it looked now. One game we played in later years was "Spoons". Paul may want to relate a time when he played spoons with his older siblings - it is quite a funny story.
• Q#5 - Tell about a time when you got lost. Once before I was 10 years old, I wanted to walk to Grandma Alma Phillip's home - she lived on Sweetwater in Alliance - we lived at 307 Mississippi. As I remember, I didn't get to her house in a timely maner and Mom (Harriet) had to come and find me. In 1982, when seven of us were in the tiny motorhome on the way to the World's Fair, I was driving and Dad (Ken) was copiloting. We were in Kansas City, MO late at night. Everyone else was in the back asleep. We got a little lost and went around the block to get back to where we belonged. Someone woke up and asked if we were lost. We said no. They said taking four right turns seemed as if we were lost.

Now I'll give all of you something to look forward to - the "Dad, Share Your Life With Me" book has 365 questions in it - one for every day of the year. Dad (Ken) didn't answer all the questions, but I do have about 190 of his answers to post on this blog. Keep checking back.

Comments - Anyone can leave a comment at the bottom of this post - please do. It will make the blog more interactive and fun.
Photos - Just click on photos to enlarge. Also, to read the articles and see photos, you can press Ctrl button and scroll mouse wheel to increase photos and text.
Incorrect Information - If any information is incorrect, please feel free to correct or let the blogger know.
Additions - If you want to add something to this post, email me, singo2@verizon.net, and I will put your name on the "invite" list.
Invitation to Join - All of Grandma Alma Phillip's grandchildren have been invited to join this blog (if I miss anyone, it is because I don't have their correct email address). This means when you get your invitation, you just need to click on the link, create a free google account if you don't already have one, sign in, and then begin posting by clicking on "new post". I write, add pictures, add videos, and "save now" until I am ready for everyone to see the blog. Then I "publish post" .

Jean Phillip - Happy Birthday

November 13th is Jean Phillip's 91st birthday - seems like this would be a good reason to create a blog for him - and possibly give him a surprise amount of phone calls and/or birthday cards.

One funny memory about Jean: Years and years ago, Judy and I were asked, or we begged, to help Jean move cement blocks down into a hole dug for a basement so Jean could begin laying the basement walls. As I remember, we must have broken more blocks by sliding them down a piece of wood than Jean thought we should. We weren't kept on the job very long.

I'll send his address and phone number in an email, in case anyone wants to wish him a Happy Birthday on Thursday. Below are some pictures I have scanned from Mom & Dad's picture boxes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEAN!!

1917












1920s (not sure of exact year)









1930











1940s (exact date?)

















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1975












1979














1980







1982












1996












2001