Phyllis Faye Blackburn

February 3, 1932 - January 18, 2018

Phyllis Faye (Jordan) Blackburn, age 85, passed away January 18, 2018 at Creasy Springs, Lafayette, Indiana. Phyllis was born February 3, 1932 in Jasper County, Indiana, the daughter of Elvin Russell and Helen Elizabeth (Rishling) Jordan. She was raised on the farm with her four sisters. Phyllis attended the Jordan Township and Hanging Grove Township schools in Jasper County and the Rensselaer High School through her sophomore year. She moved to Monon for her junior and senior year, graduating with the Class of 1950 from Monon High School. Following high school Phyllis attended Midwestern Airline School in Kansas City, Missouri and became an airline teletype reservationists. She worked for both Eastern Airline in Louisville, Kentucky and United Airline in Denver, Colorado. On June 21, 1951, Phyllis married John Howard Blackburn. Phyllis and John enjoyed the years of living on the farm in Hanging Grove Township, near Francesville, Indiana. They moved to Monon, Indiana after retiring from farming. John passed away October 6, 2010. Phyllis was a member of the Saint Frances Solono Catholic Church in Francesville and the Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Reynolds, Indiana. Phyllis was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She helped her husband by working on the farm and enjoyed cooking for her family and the many farm hands. Phyllis was active in her children’s activities at school and 4-H, also working outside the home for many years.Surviving Phyllis are her loving children, Christine (Gregory) Odom, Francesville, IN, Dean (Patty) Blackburn, Crown Point, IN, Bridget LaFree and Angie (Mark) Lawrence, both of Rensselaer, IN, and John Jr. (Rebecca) Blackburn of Francesville, IN; 11 grandchildren, Bryan (Laura) Odom, Samuel (Katie) Odom, Jeffrey (Kelly) Odom, Kateland Blackburn, Ashley Lawrence, Mark Lawrence, Cory St. Clair, Rena Johnson, Gretchen Blackburn, Clarissa Blackburn and Avery Blackburn, several great-grandchildren and a sister, Shirley Ellis, Monticello, IN. Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, her husband John Blackburn, Sr., a granddaughter, Mandi Blackburn, three sisters, Irma Lowry, JoAnn Cochran and Barbara Wilcox, and four brothers-in-law, Emmett Lowry, Paul Cochran, Robert Wilcox and Hye Ellis. Per Phyllis’ request all services were private. The Jackson Funeral Chapel of Rensselaer was honored to assist the family.