Phyllis Jean Martens passed away on Saturday, October 1, 2016, at the age of 88. She was born on July 15, 1928, in Mountain Lake, MN, to JNC and Anna Hiebert. She grew up as a child of missionaries in India, until the age of 13. Phyllis attended Immanuel Bible Academy in Reedley, CA, and then Tabor College in Kansas, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She earned a Master of Arts degree in English from Kansas University, then taught at Pacific Bible Institute for several years. She married Elmer Martens in 1956. Later, at age 62, she earned an Marriage Family Therapy degree from the Mennonite Brethren Seminary and counseled elementary school children for several years. Phyllis was creative, inquisitive, literary, and artistic. She authored Stories from an Old Town and a children's book Buzzer Bug, among others. She faithfully played organ for her church. A wise, caring and gentle woman, she deeply loved God, her husband, her four children and nine grandchildren. A Memorial Service is not yet scheduled.