Doris Elizabeth Christner Phillips Obituary (1934 - 2016)

Mrs. Doris Elizabeth Christner Phillips, 82, of Pana, died at 9:50 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in St. John's Hospital Hospice, Springfield. Mrs. Phillips and her husband, Thomas J. Phillips, Jr., are the owners and co-publishers of the Pana News-Palladium, Nokomis Free Press-Progress, Morrisonville Times and the Assumption Golden Prairie News newspapers in central Illinois. Doris was born Jan. 2, 1934 in Rosamond, the daughter of Warren and Ione Moxley Christner. She was a Pana Senior High School graduate with the Class of 1951 and attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. On June 16, 1956, she and Thomas J. Phillips, Jr. were united in marriage by Rt. Rev. Monsignor Thomas J. O'Niell in the Rectory of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Pana. She was a long-time Girl Scout and Brownie Scout leader and for many years chaired the annual Girls Scout cookie sales drives in Pana. She was a member of Delta Theta Tau sorority and a past president. She and Norma Denton chaired the Red Cross Swimming Lessons program in Pana for a number of years. Doris was a neighborhood chair and town chair of the American Cancer Society fund-raisers and a volunteer for Sacred Heart School in Pana. She was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Pana and a past member of the Rosamond Community Presbyterian Church. Doris and Mr. Phillips were the sole owners of Pana News, Inc. having bought the interests of the late C. E. "Ted" and Miriam Schumacher and the late Leonard and Mildred "Millie" Klein. They purchased the Nokomis Free Press-Progress in 1984; the Morrisonville Times in 1996; and the Assumption Golden Prairie News in 2011. She was active in the Illinois Press Association and the Southern Illinois Editorial Association. She is survived by her husband, Thomas J. Phillips, Jr., Pana; daughters, Elizabeth A. "Beth Ann" (David) Bennett, Madison, Wis., Cynthia J. "Cindy" (Tom) Latonis and Patricia M. "Trish" Spracklen, all of Pana; grandchildren, Alicia Phillips (fiance, Alex Dingee) Bennett, Milwaukee, Wis. and Nicole Phillips (Josh) Bonn and Jacob Thomas Latonis, all of Pana; great-grandson, Joshua Dean "J. J." Bonn, Jr. and great-granddaughter, Elliana Nicole Bonn; two sisters, Barbara (Leonard) Brumbaugh, Princeton and Carolyn (Don) Werner, Springfield; a brother, Fred (Ellen) Christner, Irving; caretaker, Beverley Rossman, Pawnee and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins, including Audra Zumwalt, Pana. She was preceded in death by her parents and a grandson, Thomas Phillips Latonis in 1991. Funeral Information Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 27, in St. Patrick's Catholic Church with Rev. Rodney A. Schwartz officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date. Visitation will be from 5:00-8:00 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26, in McCracken-Dean Funeral Home, Pana.