Phyllis Ewig

She was born to Philip and Elsie Rahoi on March 10, 1925. She met her husband, John, while patching through his call on the switchboard while working for the telephone company in Iron Mountain, an early version of electronic dating! They were married in 1946 until his death in 2005.

They had three children, Jonathan (Ruth) Ewig of Fairbanks, Alaska; her daughter, Stephanie (Roger) Nelsen of Traverse City, lower Michigan; and Tyrone Ewig of Iron Mountain. After the children were grown, she worked for 14 years as a cashier at the old Super Value grocery store, where she met everyone in town.

Phyllis was extremely outgoing, had a positive outlook on life, was very caring and kind, and had a great sense of humor. She tried to make everyone’s life better. She was very active, involved, and energetic her entire life.

She enjoyed swimming at Lake Antoine and ice skating in her youth, square dancing, camping, traveling many times to Alaska and with her daughter to Europe and Scandinavia, line dancing, doing water aerobics at the “Y,” visiting retirement homes to visit friends and anyone who looked lonely, playing bridge, and making pasties for the senior center.

She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, two different Red Hats group — IMT and Norway — and regularly met with her lady friends for Saturday morning coffee at Hardee’s. The guys there met her at the car to help her walk in when the winter was bad and to receive a hug which she gave out generously. She always had a hug and a smile for everyone. She also was involved locally in working elections and badgering the city council to do their jobs better.

She was preceded in death by her four siblings, Urban, Billy, Leo, and Evelyn (Peterson) and their spouses.

She is survived by her children, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews who will all deeply miss her energy, laughter, and sunny disposition.

Phyllis had requested that there be no burial service.

Condolences and fond memories may be expressed to the family of Phyllis (Rahoi) Ewig online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com.

The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the arrangements.