Phillip Jantz

Phillip Jantz

September 2, 1938  -  April 13, 2020

Viewing for Phil will be Tuesday from 10:00-6:00 and Wednesday 10:00-12:00.  There will a private family burial on Wednesday at Good Hope Cemetery.  Arrangements are by Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Helena.  www.lanmanmemorials.com  Facebook: Lanman Funeral Home Inc.  Memorials may be given to Gideons International through the funeral home.

Phillip Dee Jantz was born on September 2, 1938 to parents, Otis and Lizzy Jantz. He was the youngest of eleven children with five brothers and five sisters. Phillip was preceded in death by both parents; four brothers and all five of the sisters, as well as his second son, Jeffery. Phillip is survived by his wife, Bonnie DeWine Jantz, and they were married 61 years on February 14, 2020.  He is also survived by his brother, Carl; sons, Phillip and wife, Kimberly, Eric and wife, Lisa, Tony and wife, Mayre, Shane and wife, Suzanne; daughter, Kimberly; twenty-two grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.

Phillip was raised on a farm near Ringwood and went to a one-room school until fifth grade. He graduated from Ringwood High School in 1956 then went to Wichita, Kansas to attend Business College. He worked as a janitor and an accountant assistant in a music store while attending college. While there he met his future wife, Bonnie. Later he worked at a Sherwin Williams paint store. Bonnie saw him at the music store one day and asked HIM for a date to prom because her date had cancelled. The rest is history!

Phillip grew up going to church, got married February 14, 1959, and had his first son on November 14, 1959. Second son, Jeffery was born the following November 24, 1960. They moved their new family to Helena on January 1, 1961. Phillip and Bonnie attended Helena United Methodist Church for 40 years. Later they moved their membership to Aline United Methodist Church and were both active in church activities.  Phillip was also very active in many areas of the Helena Community. He helped his brothers, Danver and Carl, build a home for Carl in 1963. Then in 1966 Carl sold that home to Phillip and Bonnie where their children and two grandchildren grew up. Phillip was a school bus driver for eleven years and a volunteer fire fighter for twenty years, starting in 1961.  He also joined the Helena Chamber of Commerce, in 1961, while also being an auto mechanic.  Phillip became a member of the Gideons International organization in 1974 and was a member of the Chamber and Gideons until his death. Phillip joined his brothers, Danver and Carl, to work at Jantz “66” Service and Garage in 1961. Carl left for pastoral schooling in 1966 and Danver left in 1972. Phillip and Bonnie continued to run the business until it was sold at auction in October 2015.  Their sons were taught many invaluable lessons as they helped at the station until they left home and attended college.   Along the way Phillip didn’t always know how to do or fix some things that needed fixing. Since money was never plentiful at any time and he wasn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty, he always tried to just figure it out himself and “git ‘er done”!