Phyllis E. (Lackas) Titman

Funeral Services for Phyllis E. (Lackas) Titman, age 101, of Norfolk, will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, August 10, 2023 at the First United Methodist Church in Norfolk.  Interment will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.  Visitation will be one hour prior to service at the church.  Home for Funerals is in charge of arrangements.

She passed away Friday, August 4, 2023 surrounded by her family at her daughter’s home in Bellevue, Nebraska. 

Phyllis Elaine was born Wednesday, June 14, 1922 on the family farm in Randolph, Nebraska to John and Beulah (Delozier) Lackas.  She was the youngest of three daughters.  She attended country school by walking, riding a horse, or riding in a horse and buggy.  When going up hills on the way to school, her older sister, Ethel, thought it was too hard on the horse, so Florence and Phyllis were asked to get out and push the buggy to lighten the load for the horse.  During bad weather, she would stay with relatives in town.  She and her sisters would sleigh ride down the snowy covered country hills to return home.  

She graduated from Randolph High School and attended business college in Grand Island.  After college, she and a college friend went to San Diego, CA to visit old neighbors from Randolph.  She decided to stay in San Diego and obtained employment as a secretary.  She and some friends went to a dance on the base near San Diego.  Her husband, Kenneth, was there and he saw that she had on a jacket with Grand Island on the back.  With Kenneth being from the Aurora, NE area, they started dating, fell in love and were married December 24, 1940.  They moved into their first home, ½ of a train car, which were homes converted for servicemen.

Kenneth was transferred to Ft. Benning, GA where he was in training for the tank division.  Phyllis joined him there and a year later Kenneth was on his way overseas to Utah Beach, Normandy, France during World War II.  Phyllis received a telephone call from the War Department telling her that Kenneth was missing in action, and later learned that he was a Prisoner of War.  Phyllis and her two small children then moved back to Aurora, NE for two years and from there moved back to her hometown of Randolph. 

After Kenneth’s military service, they moved to Randolph for a short time prior to moving to Norfolk where they lived the remainder of their lives.

Phyllis was employed by Hesteds Department Store and then Sears Roebuck for 35 years.  She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, the VFW Auxiliary and had a lifetime membership in the Purple Heart organization, serving as president at one time.  In retirement, she and her husband were caretakers for Prospect Hill and Hillcrest cemeteries for approximately 15 years until Kenneth’s death on July 3, 2002.  After mowing, they would always stop at the cemetery entrance, look up and admire how beautiful it looked.  They took great pride in a job well done!                                                                                                           

Phyllis loved her large family so much and always looked forward to their phone calls, visits and get togethers!  She also enjoyed her coffee times and dinners with the Good Time Bunch!  They were all such special friends to her and she talked about them so often. 

She is survived by her children Stan (Roxy) Titman of Norfolk, Barbara (Ron) Goodwater of Bellevue, Paula (Jerry) Starkel of Pierce, Gloria (Terry) Spence of Stanton, and Jacque (Seth) Horn of Omaha, 16 grandchildren, 40 great grandchildren, and 34 great great grandchildren.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, husband Kenneth (2002), daughter Donna (1970), grandson Rod Titman (1996), and sisters Ethel Nelson and Florence Anderson.

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