Phyllis E. Coombes – Watertown

Phyllis E. Coombes, age 95 of Watertown, SD, formerly of Clear Lake, SD, passed away Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Jenkins Living Center in Watertown.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at the Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel.
Inurnment will be at the Lakeview Cemetery in Clear Lake, SD, at a later date.
Phyllis Coombes was born on Oct. 21, 1928, in Watertown, SD, to Louis and Elinor (Saathoff) Freesemann. She grew up on a farm in Castlewood, SD, until her parents moved to Watertown. She graduated from Watertown High School in 1946.
On May 12, 1947, she married Harvey Coombes, and to this union two children were born, Linda, and Daniel. She was a full time homemaker and loved playing cards, games, and putting jig saw puzzles together. She was content to just be at home being a good wife and mother.
In the early 70s, she was diagnosed with a kidney disease. She was in need of a kidney transplant. She would need to be on dialysis until the transplant could be done. Because of this, Dr. Jose Michieli, Bartron Clinic, pursued getting a dialysis unit in Watertown. She was the first patient to start on the Dialysis Program started by Dr. Michieli at Memorial Hospital in 1973. In April 1974, she received a kidney from her daughter at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN. She was one of the first kidney transplant patients in the area. April of 2024 would have been her 50th anniversary of the transplant.
After her husband retired, they spent their winters in Mesa, AZ, for 20+ years where they made life long friends.
In her later years, she enjoyed belonging to a card club which consisted of several friends and relatives. They would travel from home to home and enjoy an afternoon of pinochle, chatting and of course lunch.
She loved spending time with her grandkids and great grandkids. When the grandkids were younger, they would let them pick a place to go camping and would take them for a weekend. It was always a highlight of their summer.
She is survived by her children, Linda (James) Dailey, Clear Lake, SD and Daniel (Susan) Coombes, Brookings, SD; her grandchildren, Shane (Claire) Dailey, Holly Springs, NC, Ryan Dailey, Clear Lake, SD, Brodie (Kelly) Dailey, Clear Lake, SD, Mindi Dailey, Clear Lake, SD and Ethan (Megan) Coombes, Brookings, SD; great-grandchildren, Chase, Molly, Brianna, Grace, Evelyn, Fallyn and Harrison Dailey, Logan Collison and baby girl Dailey (Shane & Claire) in January; her sister, Judene (Terry) Oakley, Sioux Falls, SD
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey Coombes, her parents and grandparents.
For online condolences, visit www.wightandcomes.com.