Phoebe Jane Jones Voorhis

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Phoebe Jane Jones Voorhis was born on Oct. 25, 1924, in Headrick, Okla., to Alva M. and Eula M. Jones. Phoebe was the second of seven children. She lived in Oklahoma and north Texas until she was 17, when the family moved to Dolores, Colo., during the dust bowl and depression.

She graduated high school in Dolores in 1943. Phoebe and her sister Al operated a restaurant in downtown Dolores until Phoebe headed off to beauty school in Colorado Springs. When she finished beauty school in 1947, she moved to Pagosa Springs, where she met the love of her life, Willie Voorhis. They were married in 1949 in Las Vegas, N.M. They welcomed their first child Vicki Jo in October of 1951. Russell was born in September 1956, Steve in October 1958, and eight years later, Vanessa was born. They loved their family dearly and enjoyed doing family activities such as camping, fishing, hunting and just spending time together.

She was involved in several community organizations such as Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, Order of the Eastern Star and the Rebeccas. She owned and operated Phoebe’s Beauty Shop until she retired in 1985. Willie also retired in 1985 from his years of service with Chevrolet. They became snowbirds, spending the winters in Bullhead City, Ariz., and their summers in Pagosa with their loving family.

In January of 2003, she was heartbroken when the love of her life passed away in Las Vegas, Nev. She chose to spend the rest of her life in Pagosa with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On Sept. 12, 2012, she was once again reunited with her great love. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alva M. and Eula M. Jones, husband Willie, sisters Wilma Alexander and Ada McCormick and her grandchild Jayme Voorhis. She is survived by her sisters Aline Johnson of Kill Devil Hills, N.C., and Eula Dunagan of Aztec, N.M., her brothers Sam Jones of Houston, Texas, and Ben Jones of Fort Worth, Texas; her children Vicki Buck (Steve) of Rockport, Texas, Russell Voorhis (Sandy) of Pagosa Springs, Steve Voorhis (Barbi) of Pagosa Springs, and Vanessa Gurule (John) of Ridgway, Colo. She has eight grandchildren (Terri Grub, Matthew Buck, Jessica Antunez, Michael Voorhis, Makayla Cardona, Myron Voorhis, Breanna Voorhis and Travis Gurule; she was also very proud of her eight great-grandchildren.