Phyllis Fae Ward

Phyllis Fae Ward, 95, of Hamilton passed away of natural causes on August 7, 2021 at home surrounded by her family. She was born May 27, 1926 in Herman, Minnesota. She was the daughter of the late George and Clarice Kreidler and was raised on a small farm in the prairies of west central Minnesota during the depression years. She said they grew up poor, however since everyone else was, “nobody knew they were.”

She graduated Herman High School at 16. After graduation, she and her sister Koyla moved to Minneapolis to work for Northwestern Bell phone company. She began working in directory assistance and later worked in the billing department. While there, she met Bob Ward and they were married April 2, 1949. They had three children; Nancy, Rob and Jeff.

Phyl left work to raise her children but continued to work for “Ma Bell” off and on until 1986. Phyl was seriously a creature of habit. We can still tell you which days of the week were laundry, cleaning, washing and waxing days and what we ate for breakfast was based on the day of the week. These schedules were inviolable, but it made our days predictable and secure. We’ve always been grateful for the stability and love we felt growing up with this wonderful woman. She encouraged us to be active, outside when possible, and we were never allowed to be bored unless we wanted more chores.

Phyl and Bob spent their long retirement years in Florida and Minnesota where she was the leader of everything fun. That included water aerobics, exercise class, line-dancing, fun band, and talent shows. She was always active and especially loved golfing, dancing, walking, then relaxed with crosswords, crypto quips, and Sudoku. As she got older she did less of the former and more the latter.

When she moved to Montana to be nearer family the first thing she did, though she was 81, was join a clogging group. Some of those cloggers became her dearest friends in Hamilton. Anyone who met her was immediately aware that she was full of life. It was impossible to predict what she might say, so she was usually fun to be with. She found humor everywhere, loved to laugh and make others laugh. You were likely to get a hug or hear a song whether or not she had just met you. Once she met you, she would remember you and things she learned about you. Relationships with other people were what mattered to her most; she hated cell phones, or what she referred to as your “clickety-clicks,” because she believed they prevented real interactions with other people. Her family and friends were everything to her. She was a truly wonderful person and we will miss her every day.

Phyllis is survived by her son, Rob Ward, and his wife Diann, of Hamilton; her daughter, Nancy Stewart of Little Rock, Arkansas; her daughter-in-law, Susan Ward of Andover, Minnesota; her sister Peggy Smith of Minnesota; numerous beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Bob Ward; her son, Jeff Ward of Andover, Minnesota; her grandson, Anthony Stewart; her sister Koyla Klason of Alexandria, Minnesota; her brother Gene Kreidler of Richfield, Minnesota.

In celebration of her life, friends and family are invited to gather in the community room at Daly Leach on August 28, at 2:00 pm to share stories, songs, and laughter. She'd like that a lot. The family suggests that rather than memorials, you turn off your clickety-click and spend some real time with the ones you love. Share a hug and a few laughs -- she’d like that, too.