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Dec. 11, 1919 – Feb. 8, 2022

YAZOO CITY – Ruth Blanche Borum Phillips was born Dec. 11, 1919, and passed away peacefully at her home in Natchez, MS on Feb. 8, 2022, at the age of 102. She was born to May Belle Woody Borum and John Clarence Borum in Earle, AR, the seventh of nine children. There she graduated from Aberdeen High School as the Salutatorian and Miss Aberdeen High.

One of the first of her family to attend college, she went to MSCW where she and her roommates founded the Rogue Social Club. After completing two years at the “W,” she transferred to Millsaps.

At Millsaps Blanche met her beloved Lem Montgomery Phillips and they married in 1942, in Aberdeen.  During World War II, while Lem served his country in the Philippines, she taught school. In 1945, they moved to Tanglewood Plantation in Holly Bluff, MS, and farmed family land. To Blanche the Delta was “God’s Country”. It was there that they raised their two daughters, Sarah, and Beverly.

Blanche was a devoted wife, mother, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. She was a gracious lady of deep humility, integrity, and devout faith in Jesus Christ. As an active member of the Holly Bluff United Methodist Church, she served as President of the Women’s Missionary Society, leader of the MYF and a Sunday School teacher for many years. She worked continually in her children’s schools and 4-H club locally and throughout the state.

To ensure students could meet their prerequisites to attend college, she volunteered to teach French in the local high school.

A highlight for Blanche and Lem was taking friends and family to Aspen, CO every year to learn to snow ski, ride snow mobiles and to travel through the mountains on a horse drawn sleigh. They loved watching all the young people ski and enjoy each other as well as the beauty of nature.  Blanche and Lem also saved their money in order to send their children and grandsons to nearly every country in our vast beautiful world. They traveled extensively but only after they had provided the experience to their family. The pleasure that they received hearing their children’s stories of adventures in far reaching places exceeded their own individual needs. They were truly selfless in every possible way.

Blanche and Lem wholeheartedly loved their family, friends, church, community, and country. This dynamic duo never met a stranger and welcomed and embraced everyone into their home.  They were true servants of our Lord by offering at any time everything from fellowship to a hot meal, or to listen to someone’s burdens that they never minded helping them carry. Blanche loved God, her husband, and every human being that had the privilege of making her acquaintance. The unconditional love that these two shared was something out of a movie. Doing for others without expectations of return was a beautiful attribute to witness in Blanche’s life.

During all of Blanche’s life, she faced many different health and personal challenges. Always being extremely positive, she met her difficulties with a smile, sense of humor and a reply of “I am fine”. Blanche truly lived her purpose of glorifying God with her life.

Blanche was preceded in death by her husband, infant daughter, Carol Ann, her parents and eight siblings.

She is survived by her two daughters, Sarah Woods (Robert) of Basalt, CO and Beverly Hude (George) of Natchez, MS; two grandsons, Lem Phillips Jenkins (Laurel) of Covington, LA and Hyde Dunbar Jenkins II (Anastasia) of Oxford, MS and four great-granddaughters; Isabel, Caroline, Juliet and Isla Jenkins. Also surviving her are several nieces, nephews, and cousins that she deeply loved.

Her family has absolute faith that God and Lem and many family members and friends are welcoming Blanche home. Her favorite, Lawrence Welk is playing just for her.

The family expresses heartfelt appreciation to the many devoted caregivers Blanche had over the years who loved her and treated her as one of their own. This gratitude is extended most especially to Laura Barnes, Shelia Marshall, Peggy Rice, Dorothy Shropshire, Rita O’Neal, Lusrea Watson, and Mary Ridley. Also, the care she received from Deaconess Hospice. Special gratitude is given to Shelia Evans, Courtney Wyles, and Dr. Kenneth Stubbs.

Services under the direction of Stricklin King Funeral Home of Yazoo City will be Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, at Yazoo City’s First Methodist Church. Visitation will start at 12:30 p.m. followed by services at 2 p.m. Rev. Lauren Porter will officiate. Interment will follow in Glenwood Cemetery in Yazoo City.

The family requests to remember Blanche with donations to the First United Methodist   Church of Yazoo City, First Presbyterian Church of Natchez, or the Holly Bluff Methodist Church.