Phoebe Nichols Openshaw, 96, daughter of Emesiah and Viola Scott Nichols, was born March 8, 1911, at San Jose, Sonora, Mexico. She died Jan. 27, 2008, at Roby.
Mrs. Openshaw grew up in Gilbert, Ariz., where she helped on her father’s farm and went to school. She graduated from Mesa High School in Mesa, Ariz., where she was in school activities. She attended college in Tucson, Ariz.
She married Walter Owen Openshaw. They raised four sons and six daughters and moved to Missouri in 1971 to retire. They raised beef cattle for a change of pace.
Mrs. Openshaw was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she was a teacher, president of the women’s relief society several times, a youth leader and dance instructor. She was a choir director and loved to sing and travel with her children.
She loved gardening and being outdoors and was an avid quilter, giving away many beautiful quilts. Her talents extended to sewing and cooking.
She was preceded in death by her husband and a daughter, Linda Ruth Kinsley.
Surviving are four sons, Nick of Plato, Doc of Huggins, Scott of Buckeye, Ariz., and Sam of Tempe, Ariz.; five daughters, ToyEllen Lund of Roby, Sue Smith of Scottsdale, Ariz., Kay Rochester of Phoenix, Ariz., Jan Stice of Plato and Sidney Taylor of Glendale, Ariz.; and many grand- and great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 o’clock Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Houston. Burial is in the Hickory Ridge Cemetery under the direction of Evans Funeral Home.
Visitation is noon to 2 o’clock Saturday at the Latter-day Saints church.
