June 2023

Phyllis Jean Lehrman, 91, was born to Howard and Lucia Havens in Newton, Kansas. Phyllis was the oldest of 13 children. She attended and graduated from Newton schools. Phyllis married Otto Lehrman on May 29, 1949. In their 74 years of marriage, she and Otto set an example for their children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren of what it meant to love one another deeply and in all things. Phyllis was a homemaker and worked in the kitchen for the Newton school system while her 4 boys were in school. She was active in the Eagles Ladies Auxiliary while living in Newton. However, her lifelong career was caring for her husband and 4 sons and later her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 1984, she and Otto retired to their home in Tanglewood acres near Westcliffe Colorado where they have lived independently for the last 40 years. Phyllis and Otto loved to travel from early on in their marriage and they enjoyed many years together traveling in their RV. Their children and grandchildren were often fortunate enough to travel with them, seeing the country and creating many memories. She loved the ocean most of all and would sit to watch the waves roll in while collecting rocks on the beach. Her love of sunsets is one shared with several of her grandchildren. Phyllis was famous for her cooking and few things tasted better than a bowl of her chicken and homemade noodles or a coveted cream puff at a chapel potluck. Cooking was one of the ways she showed her love and compassion for others. There are many wonderful memories shared with friends and family around her table. Nothing made you feel quite as loved as a batch of her waffles on a Sunday morning or a special birthday cake made with love just for you. Phyllis’s passion for the mountains came by way of flowers which was instilled in her by her grandfather. She often named wildflowers as she drove along the highway and would pull off and have her grandchildren stand with them for photos through the years. She would