Margaret Phillippe

Longtime resident of Fairfax, Margaret Jane Phillippe, known as Janie by all her family and friends, passed away Thursday, March 4, 2010 at the Fairfax Manor Nursing Home. She was 92.

Janie was born September 18, 1917 at Crowder, Oklahoma, the daughter of Arch Cleveland AC Hightower and Beulah Christina Fisher Hightower. She was a 1935 graduate of Fairfax High School and attended Hills Business College. She had helped her father in his Fairfax grocery store and later was employed at the Big Hill store also in Fairfax. Janie moved to Washington D.C. in 1941 where she worked for the F.B.I. and saw President Franklin D. Roosevelt make his speech to the nation announcing the Pearl Harbor attack. She worked five years in the identification department of the F.B.I. before returning to Fairfax to help on the family farm.

Janie was married to Albert Sidney Phillippe on September 1, 1946 in Fairfax. The couple attended Oklahoma State University before moving to Wichita, Kansas. In 1952 the couple moved back to Fairfax to help her mother on the farm after the death of her father. She later became the Fairfax City Librarian and was employed 25 years before her retirement.
She was a longtime member of the Chapter BC, P.E.O. and Eastern Star. She was also a member of the Fairfax Historical Society, having a keen interest in history which she had experienced much of first hand. Another passion of Janies was traveling, taking cruises to Alaska, Venezuela and Aruba. She also visited Europe with stops in Belgium, Germany, France and Italy. She later traveled to the Holy Land then on to the Far East, Hong Kong and Tokyo. She also enjoyed art and music.

She is survived by her brother, Bob Hightower and wife, Ruthann, of Ralston her five nieces and nephews, Christy Moxley and husband, Carl, of Fairfax, Barbara Anson and husband, Travis, of Ralston, Debbie Ballinger and husband, Chris, of Wichita, Kansas, Mike Hightower and wife, Kim, of Orlando, Florida and Joe Hightower and wife, Amber, of Ralston numerous other great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents her husband one brother, Jack John William Hightower and one sister, Mildred Louise Thompson.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2010 at the Fairfax United Methodist Church with Rev. Robert Montgomery presiding. Burial will be in the Fairfax Cemetery under the direction of the HunsakerWooten Funeral Home.

Casket bearers will be Joe Hightower, Bryan Leeper, Mike Moxley, Cody Hightower, Chris Ballinger and Ben Ballinger.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Fairfax City Library, 150 East Elm, Fairfax, Oklahoma 74637.