Orpha Anise Phenis

1875 - 1953  (77 years)

• Name	Orpha Anise Phenis  [1, 2, 3]
  Birth	28 Sep 1875	Madison, Greenwood County, Kansas   [2, 3]
  Gender	Female
  Death	24 Sep 1953	Olympia, Thurston County, Washington   [2, 3, 4]
  Burial	Ripley Oak Park Cemetery, Ripley, Payne County, Oklahoma   [2, 3]
  Notes	Address in 1926: RR4, Perkins, OK. Orpha Anise Phenis was born in Madison, Kansas, September 28, 1875 and died September 24, 1953, at Cresthaven Rest Home, Olympia, Washington, at the age of 77 years, 11 months and 27 days. She was the daughter of William Riley & Flora Jane Phenis. She moved with her parents to Oklahoma at the age of 14 when her father made the run for the opening of Oklahoma Territory in 1889, staking a claim near Guthrie. The family resided there until 1897 when they moved to Perkins. She taught school two years in Logan County and 14 years in Payne County, including two years at Forest Valley where she was teaching when she was married to Edwin Thomas on September 21, 1904, at Agra, Oklahoma. To this union, five children were born. The couple lived in Ripley until 1906 when they moved to a farm in Forest Valley community where they resided until a few months before the death of her husband. She was a member of the Christian Church and a charter member of Forest Valley Farm Women's Club and remained a member until she moved to Stillwater. After the husband's death, she lived at 1005 Main Street, Stillwater, until four years ago when she moved to Olympia, Washington, to make her home with her daughter, Lorene. Her father built the original structure of the present Christian Church at Perkins. Her father, mother, and brother Evart Phenis were charter members of the Church at Perkins when it was organized on Sunday, March 6, 1898, and her membership was transferred to this church about 1899. Her father was one of the first three elders of the church and her brother, Evart, was clerk of the church board in 1899. Survivors include three children: Wayne H. Thomas, 612 South Ninth, Yukon, Oklahoma; Mrs. Lorene Mahurin, Olympia, Washington; and Mrs. DeeVilla Clark, Stillwater, Oklahoma; one sister, Mrs. Ethel McWethy, 1010 W. Admiral Road, Stillwater, Oklahoma, six grandchildren, two great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her husband on January 28, 1945, and by two children who died in infancy, her parents, and one brother.
  Person ID	I5818	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	William Riley Phenis,   b. 14 Apr 1852, Indiana d. 26 May 1909, Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma (Age 57 years)
  Mother	Flora Jane Norton,   b. 8 Jun 1855, Mohaska County, Iowa d. 12 Apr 1929, Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma (Age 73 years)
  Marriage	3 Jul 1873	Kansas   [2]
  Family ID	F2955	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Edward Valejo Thomas,   b. 14 Apr 1872, Xenia, Bourbon County, Kansas d. 30 Jan 1945, Ripley Oak Park Cemetery, Ripley, Payne County, Oklahoma (Age 72 years)
  Marriage	21 Aug 1904	Agra, Lincoln County, Oklahoma   [2, 3, 4]
  Children	1. Dee Villa Thomas,   b. 4 Feb 1906, Ripley Oak Park Cemetery, Ripley, Payne County, Oklahoma d. 3 Sep 1987, Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma (Age 81 years)   2. Wayne Thomas,   b. 12 Oct 1910   3. Lorene Thomas,   b. 3 Sep 1915   d. 20 Mar 1995, Olympia, Thurston County, Washington (Age 79 years)
  Family ID	F3021	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	13 Jun 2012

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 28 Sep 1875 - Madison, Greenwood County, Kansas Marriage - 21 Aug 1904 - Agra, Lincoln County, Oklahoma Death - 24 Sep 1953 - Olympia, Thurston County, Washington  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S127] Courtesy of Kenneth Harvey, Hickman Co, Kentucky Marriages 1822-1850, Compiler unknown. [S124] Harvey, Kenneth C--Family Member; Gedcom, Printed Descendants Reports of Payne and Gentry Families, Correspondence. [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.). [S259] Oklahoma, Stillwater, Newspress (1953) newspaper cutting titled "Services Planned for Mrs. Thomas." Probably of Judith Keeth (1997).