Mary Phyllis Mendenhall was born and raised in Gentile Valley, Idaho. Gem Valley, as it is known today, nestles between two mountain ranges. A large knoll in the center of the valley was once a volcano. Just east of that was an ice cave where her Dad got ice to make ice cream.

Phyllis was born December 1, 1915, at her Turner Grandparents' home in Lago, Idaho. Her grandmother Mary Ann Turner was midwife at the birth. Her parents were Agnes Hermany Turner and Leo Smart Mendenhall. She was the fourth child in a family of five girls and five boys. Her older siblings were Leo Lavern, Thelma and Ruby. After Phyllis came Stanley Turner, Warren Lovell, the twins Venice and Vivian, Leo Lagrand, and Harley Rex, the youngest.

Her history tells of many adventures the children had together on their two acreages. She remembers one Christmas when her Dad made her a cupboard to put her toy dishes in. The cupboard was used by the younger children and even served as a high chair for younger children. When the door of their cook stove broke, the cupboard was used to hold the door closed during baking. He Father put real candles on the Christmas tree. There were little clips that attached them to the tree branches. Her mother was a marvelous seamstress and sewed much of the clothing worn by the children. She taught her girls to sew on the Singer treadle sewing machine. She remembers one of their horses was named Pearl though she was somewhat afraid of horses all her life. The family often went to the mountains on fishing trips and to pick chokecherries.

When Phyllis was eight years old, her Grandma Turner wanted her to stay for the summer. She did this for many years for six to eight weeks every summer. Grandma Turner became like a second Mother to her.

She attended school at Grace and at Gooding for several years because of limited eyesight. Here she learned her lifelong hobbies of playing the piano, guitar, singing and sewing. Phyllis learned how to play the guitar while in her teens would play and sing for her friends. She played piano and sang at school assemblies. Dances were the weekend highlight of Phyllis and her sisters. In her senior year of High School, she worked as a secretary for the Public Works Administration Office. She graduated from Grace Rural High School in 1935.

Her family moved to Idaho Falls during the Great Depression to get work, and that is where Phyllis met her future husband, Denzle James Clark--at a dance at the Eagle's Hall. She dated him for three years. They eloped and were married 17 February 1936 in Blackfoot, Idaho, by a Justice of the Peace. Their first child, a son, Gary Denzle, was born November 29, 1936. He was named after the movie star Gary Cooper. Phyllis accompanied her husband to summer jobs that required them to live in a tent. One summer was on the Snake River building a bridge and another summer they lived in Gardner, Montana, while Den helped tear down an old hotel at Mammoth. In winters, Denzle would work as a grader man in Burt Wakerlie's potato warehouse. They rented an apartment on Ada street and that was where their daughter Sharon was born. They bought their first home, a tiny two room house and bath, on 328 West 18th Street. Their daughter Phyllis Kay was born here. They had good neighbors all around, the Phillips across the street, Ma and Pa Willis on the east and the Smith's on the west. Mr. Smith was responsible for getting Denzle on at the railroad where he worked until retirement. This job provided well for the family that grew to five after purchasing a larger home and five acres on 990 North Blvd. Garth was born here and eight years later, Daralee was born. Den grew a huge, beautiful garden and Phyllis bottled jars of fruits and vegetables to keep the children fed. Often the number of canned food reached 500.

Phyllis was active in the LDS Church and served in the Primary and was Primary President for 10 and a half years. She also served as an MIA Stake Leader, primary teacher and was active in Relief Society. She served as a Visiting Teacher until her death. Her talents, accomplishments and hobbies were many and varied. She wrote wonderful poetry all her life, from elementary school on. She received awards for her writing and poetry. She loved to type and enjoyed writing letters to friend and family and wrote many histories for herself and family members. She was very musically inclined and shared her talents generously - her honky tonk piano music was much enjoyed. Playing piano and singing when alone always helped raise her spirits.

When she was older, she developed rheumatoid arthritis which limited her playing in her 70's. She loved to camp host with her husband and they spent many summers camping together. Their grown children and grandchildren would often joint them in the mountains.

Sorrows that came: Phyllis lost a little brother of cancer in 1937. Phyllis' dear Mother died in Soda Springs, Idaho, in 1943 of cancer. A brother Stanley and his wife were killed in a plane-car accident in 1958. A sister Venice was killed in a fall. Her Dad passed away in Salt Lake City in 1959. Her husband, Den, preceded her in death 13 November 1988. A brother LaVern passed away in 1999. Her daughter Daralee died in 1991 from injuries suffered in a fall.

Phyllis is survived by four children, three sisters, Thelma, Ruby, and Vivian; two brothers, Warren, and Rex; 18 grandchildren and 34 great grandchildren.

Our Mother's life's work was her children. She always told us she loved our Dad and she remained faithful to his memory to the end.