Judge William Phillips died in Phoenix, Arizona, the evening of November 27, 1901. He had been in his usual health since going to Phoenix till a very few days before his death, when he was taken with nervous chills and his strength rapidly failed. He was in Arizona closing up the estate of his son-in-law, Dr. Hardy, recently deceased. It was his intention to return home to Des Moines as soon as possible.
Born in Stubenville, Jefferson county, Ohio, September 27, 1827 of Pennsylvania stock, reared on a farm, and with only common school advantages, at the age of nineteen, he went into mercantile business with his older brother, in New Lisbon, Ohio. After seven years of business in New Lisbon they removed to Peoria, Ill., where his brother died. William then came to Iowa with his parents and settled with them on a farm near Jefferson. He assisted in laying out the town of Jefferson, now the county seat of Greene County. He was later Judge of the County Court of Greene County. He came to Des Moines in 1856 and read law with the late Hon. Curtis Bates and afterward entered into partnership with him. In 1859 this partnership was dissolved and another formed between Judge William Phillips and his brother, James H. Phillips, and known by the firm name of Phillips & Philips. Later Col. C. H Gatch of this city now deceased, was admitted to the firm and its name changed to that of Phillips, Gatch & Phillips. Col. Gatch was succeeded by Col. E. J, Goode and the firm name became Phillips, Goode & Phillips. In 1884 this firm was dissolved and Judge Phillips entered into partnership with Hon. James G. Day, now deceased, and five years later W. B. Crosby was admitted to the firm, the name being that of Phillips, Day & Crosby. In 1896 the firm of Phillips & Ryan was formed. Hon. D Ryan becoming a member of this firm in 1899 and the firm name becoming Phillips, Ryan & Ryan.
August 20, 1857, Judge Phillips was married to Miss Jennie Rutan, a daughter of William Rutan, and niece of ex-Governor Kirkwood of Iowa.
Judge Phillips has been all his life an aggressive, earnest man, winning success by his application to business, his thorough integrity, and his ability. It falls to but few men to gain so secure a place in the esteem and regard of his fellowmen. His keen intellect was always active. His intellectual processes were characterized by a judicial thoroughness that gave weight to his opinions. He was as open minded to new ideas and to new phases of truth as a young man. Uniting with the Presbyterian church at the age of 18, and after his marriage, with the Methodist church, he was deeply interested in problems of religious thought. His legal mind apprehended the character of God and his moral government with great clearness and force of conviction. He often spoke of the mind's love of God in the intelligent understanding of His government. For him, the love for God sprang from profound conviction of God's righteousness and goodness. He thought much upon the deeper problems of man's origin and destiny of man's relations with his maker. But with Judge Phillips these problems were not merely of speculative interest. He bowed his will personally to the will of God. He worshipped and obeyed God and believed with all his soul that "if any man would do his will he should know of the doctrines." He was a life long and reverent student of the Bible. At the time of his last sickness he was preparing to take an important Bible Class. In his own home church he had for many years held an interesting Bible class each Sunday at noon. The directness and energy and yet fairness of his thoughts never failed to impress, and his own reverence for the truth which he handle made all who listened feel the depth of his own sincerity. He enjoyed and felt the need of the devotional meetings of the church. He was a regular attendant at the Sunday morning class meeting, and the Wednesday evening prayer service, and it will be long remembered that when Judge Phillips rose to speak in these meetings he had some thing impressive to say and all listened with profound interest. He will be greatly missed for years to come.
Source: Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Session of the Iowa State Bar, Iowa State Bar Association, held at Dubuque, Iowa, July 15 and 16, 1902; Pgs. 48-49
