Phyllis Mohney

Phyllis June (Martens) Mohney was born on July 2nd 1942 to Mr. and Mrs. Leslie and Alice (Tobey) Martens of Fulton Michigan. She attended school in Vicksburg MI and graduated in 1959. She Found work at the Upjohn Pharmaceutical working in the Portage MI plant on the sterile filling lines. In 1961 she married her high school sweetheart Larry W Mohney. She and Larry were able to share 64 years together before Larry passed in 2025. Phyllis and Larry were blessed with two sons, Gene Thomas (Whiterhall MI) was born in 1962 and Christopher Douglas (Kelso MO) in 1968. In 1973 Phyllis and Larry and their sons moved to Augusta MI where they lived until 1982. This home was their own and it provided Phyllis with the opportunity to start her life long gardening and ceramic hobbies. Phyllis loved teaching ceramic classes in her basement shop especially to kids from the local 4-H chapters.

While son Gene was away serving in the Navy in 1982 Phyllis and Larry followed a job opportunity that saw the family relocate to Southeast Missouri. After living in the Desoto, Bonne Terre and Perryville areas they finally found the home that Phyllis had dreamed of growing up. A farm in Frohna MO was purchased and it would be their home for almost 40 years. The two boys she was blessed with were also blessed with two lovely wives. Gene married Loretta Bettis of Bonne Terre MO in 1986 and Christopher married Michelle Kenkel of Kelso MO in 1994. Over time there were 3 grand daughters added to the family. Laticia (Lauer) and Tara were born to Gene and Loretta and Alyssa was born to Chris and Michelle. Phyllis’s granddaughters were all very special to her and holidays and other family gatherings meant the world to her. More important than the grandkids were her great-grandkids. Bradley and Hannah (Laticia and Lance Lauer of Climax MI) and Charlie and Maggie (Tara Mohney of Montague MI).

Through the years Phyllis worked a wide variety of jobs but always took pride in the work she did while trying to keep things entertaining at the same time. She worked several years with the Upjohn CO in Michigan. Over the years she would work in the insurance business, as a school yearbook photographer, a Burger King Hostess and assistant manager and as a WalMart greeter. The one work she loved first and foremost was working with and teaching others about ceramics. She opened her second shop in the old dairy barn on the farm in Frohna. In that shop she held after school classes and 4-H classes. She was very proud of all the ribbons her students would take home from the East Perry County and Cape County Fairs each year. Working with those children really made Phyllis feel like part of the East Perry County community.

Phyllis retired in 2023 to focus on caring for Larry whose health was declining. She was by his side throughout his battle with lung Cancer. Phyllis passed away on April 9th of 2026. She was preceded in death by her husband Larry and sister Betty Walker of Vicksburg MI. She is survived by her sister Shirley Townsend of Kalamazoo MI her two sons and their wives, three granddaughters and four great-grandchildren. Visitation will be on Friday April 24th from 4pm to 6pm with a celebration of life service at 6pm. Memorials may be made to Providence Hospice or East Perry County 4-H.