Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Phyllis Jean Holbrook Yeiter, of Wakarusa and formerly of Warsaw and Milford, passed into Heaven on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in the care of The Waters of Wakarusa. A life well lived, she spent 96 wonderful years on this earth living her life to the fullest and loving on her family.
Born on Sept. 25, 1929, in Noble County, Phyllis was one of five children born to Thelma R. Johnson and Donald Ira Grable. She married Harold E. Holbrook on April 7, 1950, they were blessed with three children and 34 years together before he passed away on Sept. 1, 1984. Phyllis later met a lovely man named Donald W. Yeiter, and they married on July 12, 1986. They shared 32 years before he passed away on Dec. 3, 2018.
Phyllis lived the majority of her life in Kosciusko County working for many years as the assistant manager for Unique Bakery in Warsaw and later at Hart’s Shoeland. In her free time, she was an avid bowler and a cherished member of her league. Phyllis possessed a gift for working with her hands, from her enjoyment with ceramics to baking delicious treats that she delighted in sharing with others. Her deep love for babies inspired a unique passion for collecting, restoring and dressing dolls, beautifully styling their hair to bring them back to life. Above all, Phyllis treasured her family. She loved her own children fiercely, and her home was always open to her children's friends, whom she warmly embraced as her own and proudly claimed them as her "adopted" kids. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the light of her life, her pride and joy! She never missed a chance to be with them. Phyllis leaves a legacy defined by 96 years of unconditional love, both given and received, by the generations who will forever cherish her memory.
She will be lovingly remembered by her son, Stephen (Debra) Holbrook, Venice, Fla.; two daughters, Vickie (Gerald) Kupeerus, Milford; and Jean Conner, Defiance, Ohio. Also surviving are six beloved grandchildren: Chad (Heidi) Holbrook, Kelly Murphy, Ryan (Nicole) Holbrook, Jeremy (Dre) Kupeerus, Chris (Rainy) Kupeerus, Jeffrey Weaver; 12 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; as well as three brothers: Orville (Carol) Grable, Larry (Jeanie) Grable and Eugene (Doris) Grable. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Harold E. Holbrook, Donald W. Yeiter; and her sister, Joy Renier.
Phyllis’ life will be celebrated at noon on Saturday, Aug. 22 at Redpath-Fruth-Byers Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, and officiated by Pastor Jason Rohde. A graveside service will follow at Oakwood Cemetery of Warsaw. Family and friends may visit prior to the service from 10 a.m. to noon.
Memorial donations may be directed to Center for Hospice Care, 501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545 or donate online at https://foundationforhospice.org/donate/
Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s website at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com
