Phillip Eugene Monfort

Phillip Eugene Monfort, passed away July 3,2026 after 102 years of full and fruitful living. Born October 17, 1923, in Iola, Kansas to Earl Monfort and Winnie Remsberg Monfort on his parents’ birthdays, he was the youngest of 9 children. An inventor, adventurer, and entrepreneur, he moved to Waitsburg in 1947 before an administrative error recalled him to Korea.

As a young man, Phillip worked in a war defense engineering plant before being drafted into the Army Air Corp. Upon his discharge he spent time in Ellensburg with a brother and co-developed the Winthrop Corner for produce crates. Finding his way to Waitsburg, Phil initiated a 4-H livestock club and laid the groundwork for the annual livestock and 4-H show held in the spring. While working local farmland, Phil was recalled to Korea, which was an “administrative error” to him. He eventually bought his own plane, survived a whiteout over the Pennsylvania mountains, and flew to Florida where he encountered Moral Re-Armament (now Initiatives of Change). Phil came to a true faith in Christ through their work and was challenged to live out his life to the standards of absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness, and absolute love, which are fulfilled in the work of Christ. It was through MRA that he developed the daily practice of waking early to pray and listen for the guidance from the Holy Spirit speaking into his life. He wrote down these thoughts daily in a notebook.

Upon returning to Waitsburg, he ran the Plaza Theater for the city, owned some rentals, started a second-hand store, raised hay, and started a pony farm which included a cow, sheep, pot-belly pigs, and pygmy goats. His homemade creations included a pony wagon, train, old-style car, and even a Sarah-Go-Round, which all featured in many town parades and celebrations.

Keen to share his passions with others, Phillip would happily talk about Christ’s mercy towards him, six days of creation, ponies, trains, farming, and interracial harmony with anyone willing to listen. A true evangelist, he believed that if you found value in something it was criminal not to share it with others. He kept his own “lending library” of books, articles, and films which he believed important and shared them liberally with others. He lived boldly yet modestly, touched many, and will be greatly missed.

Preceded in death by his parents and his eight siblings, Phillip is survived by his wife, Jeanetta; their two daughters Margaret (Jeremy) Shultz, and Sarah (Alister) Torrens; and four grandchildren: Evelyn Grace and Isaiah Franklin Shultz, and Saphira Alexandra and Thaddaeus Phillip Torrens; and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held at the Waitsburg Presbyterian Church on August 1, 2026, at 10:00 AM and will be streamed. Here is the link for the service: Waitsburg Presbyterian Church, Monfort Service

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Initiatives of Change or Answers in Genesis through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W Alder St, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Friends and family are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.herringgroseclose.com.