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Phyllis Titman
NORFOLK — Funeral services for Phyllis E. (Lackas) Titman, 101, Norfolk, will be 10:30 a.m., Aug. 10, at the First United Methodist Church, Norfolk.
Interment will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, Norfolk.
Visitation will be one hour prior to service at the church.
Home for Funerals is in charge of arrangements.
Phyllis died Aug. 4, 2023, surrounded by her family at her daughter’s home in Bellevue.
Phyllis Elaine was born June 14, 1922, on the family farm in Randolph, to John and Beulah (Delozier) Lackas. She was the youngest of three daughters. She attended country school by walking, riding a horse, or riding in a horse and buggy. When going up hills on the way to school, her older sister, Ethel, thought it was too hard on the horse, so Florence and Phyllis were asked to get out and push the buggy to lighten the load for the horse. During bad weather, she would stay with relatives in town. She and her sisters would sleigh ride down the snowy covered country hills to return home.
She graduated from Randolph High School and attended business college in Grand Island. After college, she and a college friend went to San Diego, Calif., to visit old neighbors from Randolph. She decided to stay in San Diego and obtained employment as a secretary. She and some friends went to the Army barracks near San Diego. Her husband, Kenneth, was there and he saw that she had on a jacket with Grand Island on the back. With Kenneth being from the Aurora area, they started dating, fell in love and were married Dec. 24, 1940. They moved into their first home, one half of a train car, which were homes converted for servicemen.
Kenneth was transferred to Ft. Benning, Ga., where he was in training for the tank division. Phyllis joined him there, and a year later Kenneth was on his way overseas to Utah Beach, Normandy, France, during World War II. Phyllis received a telephone call from the War Department telling her that Kenneth was missing in action, and later learned that he was a Prisoner of War. Phyllis and her two small children then moved back to Aurora, for two years and from there moved back to her hometown of Randolph.
After Kenneth’s military service, they moved to Norfolk where they lived the remainder of their lives.
Phyllis was employed by Hesteds Department Store and then Sears Roebuck for 35 years.
She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, the VFW Auxiliary and had a lifetime membership in the Purple Heart organization, serving as president at one time. In retirement, she and her husband were caretakers for Prospect Hill and Hillcrest cemeteries for approximately 15 years until Kenneth’s death July 3, 2002.
Phyllis loved her large family so much and always looked forward to their phone calls, visits and get-togethers. She also enjoyed her coffee times and dinners with the Good Time Bunch. They were all such special friends to her and she talked about them so often.
She is survived by her children, Stan (Roxy) Titman, Norfolk; Barbara (Ron) Goodwater, Bellevue; Paula (Jerry) Starkel, Pierce; Gloria (Terry) Spence, Stanton; and Jacque (Seth) Horn, Omaha; 16 grandchildren, 40 greatgrandchildren, and 34 great-great-grandchildren.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Kenneth, in 2002; daughter, Donna, in 1970; grandson, Rod Titman, in 1996; and sisters, Ethel Nelson and Florence Anderson.
