Carmen Marie Phairas

Carmen Marie (Keller) Phairas, 103, of St. Joseph, passed away Friday, July 08, 2011 at her home. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, July 15, 2011, at St. Joseph First United Methodist Church, 3003 Leco Ct., St. Joseph, with Pastor Wade Panse officiating. Burial will follow at Spring Run Cemetery. Friends may visit from 10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. Friday at the Church. Memorials may be made to St. Joseph First United Methodist Church. Those wishing to share a memory online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Carmen was born October 17, 1907, to Henry & Edyth (Tonkin) Keller at the stone house in the triangle at Scottdale which her parents built. Carmen first enrolled at Western State Teachers College now known at Western Michigan University in 1928 and earned a 3-year business certificate course. She completed her bachelor's degree in 1939. Carmen started working for the City of St. Joseph in 1934 in the City Clerk's Office and was Secretary to the City Manager when she retired in 1972. On August 24, 1947 she married the St. Joseph Chief of Police Benjamin F. Phairas. She was a devoted member of her church. In her spare time she enjoyed traveling to England and Israel, sewing, reading, genealogy, living by the lake, and in her later years listening to books on tape. Carmen is survived by her daughter, Edyth Harding of St Joseph, Granddaughter Candace Harding of St. Joseph, Granddaughter Kathryn (Steven) Klocek of Delaware, Ohio, Great granddaughter Emily Klocek, Step-Daughter Sue Miston of Dowagiac, Grandson Robert (Brenda) Miston Jr. of Dowagiac, Granddaughters Roxane (Dale) Hickmott of Hartford, Roslyn (Greg) Danneffel of Plainwell, and Ruthann (Thomas) Lindt of Dowagiac, nine great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren, her younger sister Frances Dean of East Lansing age 95, many nieces and nephews, former son-in-law Al Harding and his family. Carmen was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in 1952, sister and brother-in-law Lavern and Donald Coon, brother-in-law Leland Dean, infant sister Shirley Keller, son-in-law Robert Miston, great granddaughter Amy Henslee, great grandson Andrew Klocek, and niece Kelly Coon.