Phyllis Isabelle (Mann) Penfold

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” Jesus said, “When you turned 17, I gave you two big jobs: Be a housewife. Be a mother. You did both jobs extremely well. You stayed faithfully married for more than 62 years. You bore 10 children and helped your husband Cleyo provide and care for them. You nurtured your children and stood by them. You taught them to get along with each other,” Jesus continued, “You taught your children the difference between right and wrong. You worked hard and taught them to work hard. Most importantly, you taught them who I AM.” 

Phyllis was born to Nolan Vernon Mann and Anna Irene Mann on February 7, 1933 at their homestead in Bliss Township. She died on the afternoon of April 19, 2022 at her home in Chandler Township at 89 years of age in the presence of many family members. 

Phyllis came to Petoskey with her family at the age of three. She was educated in the Petoskey Public Schools. She married Cleyo Penfold on March 2, 1950 at the Main Street Baptist Church in Harbor Springs. They settled on top of Chandler Hill and began raising a family. Phyllis is survived by her ten children: John; Bernard (Connie) and their children Dulcinea, Miranda (Jerry) Petrowski, Abram, Adrianna Penfold (Jarrod Miller), Tabitha & Geneva; George (Jeanne) and their daughter Eva; Becky (Jan) Bruin-Slot and their sons Zachary (Dawn), Nathaniel (Danielle), & Timothy; Annabelle (Dave) Matz and their children Charles (Kristina), Kristina (Pete) Metzger, Catherine Olsen, & Mark; Eva (David) Siegrist and their daughters Jolene (Erik) Hagstrom & Kelly; Calvin (Linda) and their children Kali (Kyle) Smith, Tia (Dylan) Fettig & Joseph (Michelle); Tracy and his daughters Danielle, Kathleen & Kelsey; Kristina (Steve) Drost and their sons Jacob, Kainoa & Zander; Brent and his children Lauren, Liam & Olivia, Jordan, Adam, Maddy & Abi; an ‘adopted’ daughter, Nancy Sando; great-grandchildren: Andrew, Nicholas, Ashleigh, Joseph, Dylan, Gabriella, Keagan, Eliana, Arie, Emma, Kyle, Paige, Cameron, Jake, Jack, David, Evie, Daisy, JR, Esther, Penny, Hunter, Linnea, Corbin, Connor, Sawyer, Hannah, Lincoln, Genevieve, Hailey & Tyler; a great-great grandson Carter. Phyllis is also survived by sister-in-law Rosada Mann and many much-loved nieces and nephews. Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents Nolan and Irene Mann and by her sister Juanita Petoskey and by her brothers John & George Mann, and two grandchildren, Benjamin in 1977, and Micah in 2012.

As a young girl Phyllis attended Parr Memorial Baptist Church in Petoskey and received Jesus as her savior. The Christian worldview held Phyllis steady through more than 62 years of marriage and the raising and moral training of ten children through more than 71 years of motherhood.

A memorial service will be held at Walloon Lake Community Church where she attended since 1967 on Friday April 29, 2022 at 11:00am with Pastor Jeff Ellis officiating. Visitation will begin at 10:00am. There will be a luncheon following the service. Stackus Funeral Home of Boyne City is serving the family. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Walloon Lake Community Church, PO Box 35 Walloon Lake, MI 49796.