IN MEMORIAM
EXPANDED EULOGIES
Phyllis Bull
Interment for Phyllis Jean Thies Bull, 83, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was Thursday at Floral Haven Cemetery, Broken Arrow.
She died Sept. 9 at Broken Arrow.
She was born March 14, 1938, in Hillsboro, the daughter of Clyde and Bernice Thies.
In her early childhood years, during WWII, Phyllis lived in Wichita with her parents and baby brother, Wayne.
The Thieses owned and operated a 24-hour restaurant, serving many Boeing employees.
In 1945, when she was 7 years old, the family moved to a farm near Marion. Phyllis attended a one room country school, Pleasant View.
During her elementary school years, many happy memories were made with cousins, aunts and uncles who came to visit and play croquet on the special court her father built. The attic of the farmhouse was the “hang out” for the kids, where she, Wayne and cousins Lavonne and Thelma played Monopoly. She and the other kids were excited when Uncle Jake came, because he brought pop!
A special trip for Phyllis and Wayne, at 8 and 10, was a train ride on the “Doodle Bug” line from Marion to Lehigh to visit Uncle Sam and Aunt Helen. Traveling without Mom and Dad was exciting for her and Wayne.
Then, in 7th grade, they sold the farm and bought Thies Food Center in Marion. Phyllis helped by stocking shelves, eating lots of overripe bananas and drinking pop from the store.
She gained close girlfriends from the Christian Church and school, where she enjoyed playing clarinet in the band.
After living for a while above the grocery store, the family moved to a big four bedroom house next door. Her mother, from a large family, hosted meals nearly every Sunday. Phyllis was her right-hand helper, setting the table and helping serve guests.
After high school graduation in 1956, she attended Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma, where she met Robert Bull.
After her sophomore year, she and Bob married in the Marion Christian Church, on June 15, 1958. After their honeymoon, they lived in Enid.
Living a short time in Wichita, the couple moved to Oklahoma City and eventually Okmulgee, Oklahoma. During these years, they adopted Darrell in 1965 and Renee in 1967.
Phyllis enjoyed church friends, playing cards with couples, traveling with family, and especially visits when family played Pinochle for hours. Everyone always enjoyed her sense of humor and signature giggle.
After Bob retired from teaching at OSU Technical College, Okmulgee, they moved to Broken Arrow.
She especially treasured her two grandchildren, Madeline and Mitchell, as they grew up close by in Jencks, Oklahoma.
When Bob passed away in 2012, she moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma to be near Renee.