Etta Eugenia "Jean" Phillips, 87, of Laurens, passed away August 10, 2018, at the Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community, where she had resided since 2010. Born August 14, 1930, in Greensboro, NC, she was the daughter of the late Eugene Jackson Jarvis and Blanche Elizabeth Greene Jarvis. Jean is survived by her sons, Mark (Janice) of Blythewood and Paul of Ft. Worth, Texas; a daughter, Beth Gestring (Wes) of South Africa; grandchildren, Robin Phillips Richardson (Sean) of Conway, April Phillips Zamor (Frantz) of Easley, Jordan Gestring (Alyssa) of Greenville, Bethany Gestring of Ankara, Turkey, Michelle Gestring of Easley, and Michal Phillips of Ft. Worth, Texas; great-grandchildren Banks and Flynn Richardson, and Drew and Kara Beck (Zamor); granddaughter-in-law, Savannah Cudd Phillips; sister, Esther Jarvis Heilig, of Greensboro, NC; and a sister-in-law, Mary Ann Walser Jarvis of Rural Hall, NC. Jean was predeceased by her husband, Gene Dillard Phillips; a son, John Phillips; a grandson, Danny Phillips; three brothers (Bruce, Spurgeon, and Wilbur Jarvis); and three sisters (Dot Cheshire, Bonnie Payne, and Carol Belch). Jean graduated from Mars Hill College (NC) and the Women's College of UNC Greensboro with a Grammar Grades Teaching Certificate. Gene and Jean served as missionaries in Zimbabwe, Africa, with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for 40 years. In Africa, she supported Gene's church planting ministry primarily by developing reading primers in the Shona language, teaching literacy to local villagers, and working with women in area churches. They had a large number of African "children in the Lord" whom they supported financially through secondary education and seminary training. After leaving Zimbabwe, the Phillipses returned for several short-term stints in Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Botswana. Jean and Gene retired to Camden in 1996, where they remained active in the Lord's service. Jean taught the Addis/Brannon Sunday School class at First Baptist Church and traveled to churches and Baptist camps, speaking on missions. She authored seven books during her retirement years. In 2010 the Phillipses moved to Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community, where Jean cared for Gene, as he was having increasing difficulties with dementia, until his death in 2013. She also continued her writing and was active in the Billy Graham Call Center ministry at Martha Franks until a few weeks before her own passing. Those who knew Jean remember how she loved telling people about Jesus. Philippians 1:21 sums up her life well: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Funeral services will be conducted by Rev. Phillip Gerrald at First Baptist Church of Camden on Wednesday, August 15, at 2PM. Burial will follow in Quaker Cemetery, Camden. The family will receive visitors in the Fellowship Hall from 12:30 - 2:00PM. Memorials can be made to the International Mission Board and Martha Franks Retirement Community.