Phyllis Ashley, 77

Phyllis (Gale) Ashley, 77, of Mountain Home, diagnosed with cancer on Oct. 4, died Oct. 11, 2003, at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, with her family by her side.

Graveside services were held Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Lower Boise Valley Cemetery in Parma. Arrangements were under the direction of Summers Funeral Homes, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home.

Phyllis Irene (Gale) Ashley was born May 13, 1926, to Ervin and Hilda Gale, on her grandparent's farm in Meridian. The farm stood close to where Boondocks is now built. She was the middle of three children, with an older brother, Wes, and her younger brother, Glenn.

At the age of four her parents divorced, and due to the hard times, she and her two brothers were farmed out to different relatives. She lived with a different relative for almost every year of her life until she was 13. During that time, she attended school all over the map, from Atlanta, Idaho, to Hawthorne, Neb., to Pasadena, Calif., and many places in between. She still never missed a single day of school from 2nd to 6th grade.

At the age of 13, Phyllis and her younger brother, Glenn, were able to come home to live with their mother. Unfortunately, their mother died a short time later.

Phyllis married Kenneth Ward Jenkins on Aug. 21, 1943, and had four children, Jack, Jill, Jerry and Jamie. They were later divorced.

While living in Mountain Home, Phyllis met Bruce Ashley and they were married Feb. 2, 1966, in Elko, Nev. They enjoyed almost 38 years of happy marriage, her family noted.

Phyllis worked at 1st Security Bank in Mountain Home and on Mountain Home AFB for many years. Phyllis and Bruce enjoyed fishing and being in the mountains together. "Phyllis would never pass up a good card game, and loved to travel to Jackpot, Nev.," her family said. "Phyllis also enjoyed her close friendship with her swimming group in Mountain Home. Those ladies were special to her."

"Phyllis was a kind and generous soul; and was loved dearly by her friends, family, children and grandchildren. She will be greatly missed."

She is survived by: her husband, Bruce, of Mountain Home; four children, Jack and his wife, Barbara Jenkins of Kent, Wash., Jill McDowell of Middleton, Jerry and his wife, Jane Jenkins, of Chandler, Ariz., and Jamie Killeen of Reno, Nev.; a stepbrother, Bill Well, of California; 10 grandchildren , 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild in Australia. She was preceded in death by her parents and both brothers.