Phyllis J. Stalter

6/2/1938 — 3/12/2015

Service Date: 3/21/2015
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Phyllis Joy (Keener) Stalter, age 76, a longtime Lewiston-Clarkston Valley resident, passed away Thursday, March 12, 2015, from cancer. A celebration of Joy's life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, 1906 Broadview Drive in Lewiston, with a graveside service to follow at the Normal Hill Cemetery, 1122 Seventh St., Lewiston.

Joy was born June 2, 1938, in Westport, Ore., to James (Harvey) and Bettie Puryear. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Pendleton, Ore. When Joy was 12, the family moved to the Camas Prairie, where the family owned and operated a dry cleaning business in Cottonwood. She graduated from Cottonwood High School in 1956. On June 15, 1957, Joy married Elvin Keener, and from then to 1964 they lived in Cottonwood, Grangeville and Orofino. In 1964 they, along with their four children, moved to Lewiston. Joy made Lewiston her home for 37 years. After Elvin's death in 2000, Joy met and married John Stalter on May 11, 2001. At that time, they moved to Clarkston and have made it their home for the past 14 years.

Joy loved to clean her home, so much so that after her last child entered school, she began sharing her passion with others. She worked in many of these families' homes for decades, and through her work became an important and much-loved part of many families' lives here in the valley. She loved what she did so much that her goal was to not retire until she was 75. She was just one year shy of that goal.

Joy was an active member of the First United Methodist Church. In her younger years, she was a member of the Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, LCO Ladies Bowling Association and Bryden Canyon Ladies Golf Association. She loved to play games with family and friends and for many years was a member of a Bunco Club started by her sister Shirley here in the valley.

Survivors include her husband, John Stalter of Clarkston; three daughters, Linda Rape and husband David of Lewiston, Sandra Jones and husband Thomas of Kirkland, Wash., and Teresa Cole and husband David of Clarkston; one son, Paul L. Keener and wife Carrie of Lewiston; 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren, with two more on the way; three stepchildren, Scott Alexander, Scarlett Noemi and Charles Gregory; four stepgrandchildren; a sister, Shirley Jones of Puyallup, Wash.; and a brother, Ron Puryear and wife Georgia Lee of Spokane.

Joy was preceded in death by her husband, Elvin Ray Keener; grandson Jerome Calkins; a brother, Dale Puryear; and both of her parents, Harvey and Bettie Puryear.