Phyllis L. Ostrander

Phyllis L. Ostrander was born January 16th, 1938 in Oakley, Kansas. She is survived by her two sons, Randall Gene Ostrander and Troy Eugene Ostrander, and her three grandchildren, Orion James Graham, Forrest Todd Ostrander and Meghan Kathleen Ostrander and Phyllis's sister, Shirley Mitchell.

Phyllis married Bill Ostrander in 1954 when she was just 15 years old. They were married for 44 years until Bill's death in June of 1997.

In accordance with Phyllis's wishes, please send donations to the Center, ACS Lift, 5045 W 1st Ave, Denver CO, 80219 in lieu of flowers.

The Center was a long standing passion of Phyllis's. She believed in giving and helping others. It had always been her wish to become a nurse and in many ways she fulfilled that wish by her endless and tireless devotion to helping others. Her bandages were love's healing balm and her medicine was always a batch or two of cookies.

She loved to give. She was always on the lookout for some special collectible for someone special in her life. Her sister, Shirley liked windmills. Phyllis liked elephants. For decades they exchanged tokens of each as a symbol of their love. Giving windmill pictures and tokens to her sister was just the beginning. She liked finding something that each person in her life enjoyed or collected and from that moment on she always had an eye out for a little something. In turn her collection of elephants grew and her Snoopy collection has multiplied more like rabbits than a furry little black and white dog.

In later years she found another special family of support and caring with her Red Hat Sisters. They were an important part of her continuing life of caring and sharing with and for others.

Inside her bibles were quotes, lessons and thoughts she had written into the front and back. They are a glimpse into who she was and what she believed was important in life. Her faith was her cornerstone and her life reflected it. She truly lived her life with courage and strength. She tempered it with love and forgiveness and always, always, added in patience and concern. There was never a time, even when she was enduring her last days, that she did not try to turn the conversation away from herself, her pain, or her life and ask after the person to whom she was speaking or someone in their life.
Going through her bibles looking for what she wanted read, was a discovery and validation, a window looking into her remarkable life. There were pages of people she knew and what she was praying for in their lives. On those pages were also people whose names she didn't know, but where she had met them and what she prayed for in their lives.

Here are some of the quotes that characterize her life of devotion and caring:
•"Love to God is the very foundation of religion."
•"You cannot do a kindness too soon,
Because you never know how soon it will be too late."
•"Our example is read by many people."
•"Christians must walk their talk."
•"Knowledge leads to pride, but love reaches out to others." (1 Cor. 8:1)
•"An ounce of loving role modeling is worth a pound of parental pressure."
•"If we condemn others we are passing judgment on ourselves." (Rom 2:1)
•"Faith is like a muscle that is strengthened with exercise."
•"Cultivate the habit of speaking well of others. Dwell upon the good qualities of those with whom you associate and see as little as possible of their errors and failings. When tempted to complain of what someone has said or done, praise something in that person's life or character.
•"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything."
•"Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch you words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."


•"Be willing to help anyone in need not just church goers." (Rom 12:13)
•"Salvation is a gift to be received not a goal to be achieved."
•"We are saved by the gift of God's grace." (Eph 3:8)
•"A kind courteous Christian is the most powerful argument that can be produced in favor of the gospel."

Finally in the front of her Clear Word Bible there was an article from Dear Abby dated1/1/2006. The fact that it was glued in belies her unwavering belief in the prayers. The first is an adaptation of the credo from Al Anon to which she added, "with God's help!"

•Just for today, I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
•Just for today, I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.
•Just for today, I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those things that I cannot.
•Just for today, I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
•Just for today, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path and I'll not speak ill of others. I'll improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. I'll refrain from improving anyone but myself.

•Just for today, I will do something positive to improve my health. If I am a smoker, I'll quit. If I am overweight, I'll eat healthily – if only just for today. And not only that, I'll get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it is only just around the block.

•Just for today, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.

Last but certainly not least, the other prayer glued into her bible in that same article is a prayer that we cannot fail to see is how Phyllis led her life:

•"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there in injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Devine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

Please celebrate with us a life that was selfless and giving, nurturing and courageous.