COTTAGE GROVE – Glenn Elvin Phillips, 60, of Cottage Grove died Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, of Lou Gehrig’s Disease. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28 at the Riverside Church of God in Cottage Grove. A second memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the Hermiston Assembly of God Church, 730 E. Hurlburt Ave., Hermiston. Burial will be in the Milton-Freewater Cemetery.

Mr. Phillips was born May 13, 1949, in Walla Walla to Melvin and Francis Geraldine (Keeney) Phillips. He graduated from McLoughlin High School in Milton-Freewater and earned an associate’s degree from Lane Community College. He graduated from Eugene Bible College with a bachelor’s degree, and earned his master’s degree from Seattle Pacific University. He served in the Navy as a corpsman from 1968-1972.

He was an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. He also was the principal of South Lane Christian School in Cottage Grove from 1976 to 1990. He then was a teacher at Ningbo University in the People’s Republic of China from 1990 to 2000, where he earned several awards. He spent the following five years preparing teachers to teach in China.

Mr. Phillips is survived by his father and stepmother, Melvin and Bonnie Phillips of Hermiston; brothers Arlin Phillips and Clint Phillips, both of Hermiston, and Hal Phillips of Pendleton; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Geraldine Phillips.

Memorial contributions may be made to foreign missions, with an emphasis on China, through the donor’s local church.

Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel of Cottage Grove is in charge of arrangements.