John Durbin Phillips was born 29 March 1922 to Thomas Martin Phillips (1878-1950) and Mary Anna Hassett Phillips (1883-1959).

John married Kathleen Virginia Thomas Phillips (1925-2005) on 9 June 1949. According to the 1950 US Census, they were living at 434 Clay Street.

John and Kathleen had 12 children.

Writing A Column’s Not So Easy

By Ron Jenkins

Back when I was a wet-behind-the-ears cub reporter (a month ago), one of my superiors at The Courier introduced me to Joe Aaron.
“What do you do here?” I asked, whereupon Joe took a hankerchief and wiped briskly behind each of my ears. “I write a daily column,” Joe replied. “Is that all?”
Joe left right abruptly without an answer.
Today, while Joseph is miles away on a vacation I’m sure you’ll hear about, I found out why Mr. Aaron was silenced by the remark of, “Is that all?”
You see, I’ve been sitting here for hours on end trying to squeeze one lousy pinch hit column out of this typewriter — and it’s Joe’s typewriter yet!
At first I thought it might be interesting to write something about changing politics in Henderson, because last year I used this space to expose politics, Henderson-style.
Trouble is, politics haven’t changed in Henderson. Only the names are different. They call it progressive government there now, but there hasn’t been enough progress to fill this space. So changing Henderson politics is out. Maybe next year.
WELL, THEN, how about a Subject like John Durbin Phillips? Never heard of him? Well, good, let me tell you about him.
John D. Phillips (the middle name of Durbin used to be a secret) is an east end philosopher with whom I’ve had many heated exchanges on subjects ranging from civil rights to the local garbage ordinance.
Johnny’s a bartender at Mike’s Tavern on Henderson’s east side, so our usual debating place is a bar, or podium, if you prefer. When business is slow, Johnny might scoot his 5-6, 173-pound, 44-year-old body up to the podium and say something like: “Hubert Humphrey is a ratfink” or “Martin Luther King never will replace God.” And away we go with an enlivened debate (although I’m not sure how much argument I could give him on those topics).
BUT THERE are days, too, when I might ask a simple question like, “How’s the family?” I asked that question earler this week and Johnny said, “Alright I guess.”
Before you wonder way he’s guessing, let’s take a look at Johnny’s family. There’s the wife, the former Kathleen Thomas, who apparently believes, as her ex-Marine husband does, that things (and babies) are
“cheaper by the dozen.”
They have 12 children, you see, and they’re the kind who will help little old ladies across the street.
“Hey, Johnny, reel off the names of your kids for me, in order of arrival.” Like a true Marine who spent three years in the South Pacific during the “War With a Purpose,” Johnny accepted the challenge.
“It all started with Kay and Ray, our 16-year-old twins,” he led off. Then came…
“Tommy.”
“June.”
“Virginia.”
There was a pause at this point as Johnny scratched his head and said, “Shucks, I know him, but I just can’t think of his name.”
“Oh yeah, Jim.
“Then Jerry and Terry.
“Oscar.
“And last, Bob and Bill.” I counted them up and the total was 11. “You missed one,” I smiled.
He scratched his head again and shortly exclaimed, “Dot, I forgot Dot. Put here back up there before Oscar.”
After we got the kids lined up in order, I asked the east end philosopher about the touchy subject of birth control. “I think it’s a great thing,” Johnny shot back. “No family should be without it.”

John Phillips died on 21 May 1980 and was buried in St. Louis Cemetery, Sec-1 Lot-350 Sp-6.

References:

Evansville Courier and Press July 23, 1966

St Louis Cemetery