Phyllis Joyce Schmitz (Murphy)
January 17, 1942 – June 11, 2025

Phyllis Joyce Schmitz (Murphy) passed away peacefully at the age of 83, on June 11th, 2025, at home after a brief time in the hospital. She was born on January 17, 1942, to Phil John and Mary Joyce Hurst in McMinnville, OR.

Phyllis grew up in Dayton, Oregon, graduated from Dayton High School and went onto Linfield College to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and taxation.

Phyllis met and married Donald Jean Schmitz also from Dayton in 1964 and moved to Sweet Home for a short time. They made their home in Lebanon where she opened her accounting firm in 1973. Phyllis and Donald were married for 35 years. Phyllis later reconnected with a longtime friend Lonel Murphy and they married in 2004. Phyllis and Lonel shared 13 years of love and happiness until his death in 2017. Phyllis retired a year later after 45 years of owning her own accounting firm. She had a passion for horses all her life, especially the Tennessee Walking Horse. She had a breeding farm and raised and showed Tennessee Walking Horses for many years. She passed on the love of horses to her granddaughter Ashley and continued to enjoy going to many horse shows.

She was preceded in death by her parents, twin sisters Alice Irene Hurst and Margaret Louise Youtz, her husband Lonel, and son-in-law, Jim Search. She is survived by her daughter Heather Search of Sweet Home, OR, grandson Ian Search and granddaughter Ashley Search of Shelbyville, TN and Robert Sartore of Arlington, WA.

In honoring Phyllis’s wishes, she asked not to have a service. She will be laid to rest at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in McMinnville, at a later time. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements. www.sweethomefuneral.com.