Phyllis Jean “Jeanie” Davis Detherow, 86, passed away in Jefferson City, Mo., on March 11, 2025. She is survived by her sister, Ruth Ann Welch, her brother, Mike Davis, and sister-in-law, Debbie Davis, as well as several cousins and numerous nephews and nieces. She also leaves two lifelong friends, Joyce Campbell and Betty White. Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, Loy and Ruth Davis, her sister Kay Omer, brother-in-law Bill Welch, and brother-in-law Dick Omer. She was a schoolteacher and lived most of her life around Higbee, Mo.

Phyllis was the first-born child of Loy and Ruth Davis. She was born on Sep 27, 1938, in Carrington, N.D., where her father worked on a cattle ranch. The family moved to a farm near Fayette in 1942. There, Phyllis attended the one-room Baldridge School and was a member of Mount Pleasant Church. Phyllis graduated from Fayette High School in 1956.

After graduating from Central Methodist College in Fayette with a bachelor’s in Education, Phyllis earned a Master’s in Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse south of Fayette. Her teaching career spanned nearly 50 years, and she taught at public and parochial elementary schools in Belton, Buckner, Higbee, Harrisburg, Moberly, and Glasgow before retiring back to the family farm. She enjoyed children and was a favorite among her nieces and nephews.

Always quick with a smile, Phyllis possessed a sunny disposition and a gentle and caring spirit. She loved animals, and she usually had at least one very spoiled dog and cat. A member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Phyllis was dedicated to genealogy, and she was a source of endless stories about the family history.

There will not be any public services at this time. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.millardfamilychapels.com.