William Wallace Phelps

PHELPS, DAVIS, CRAMER, GILCHRIST, LAUGHLIN, MUTCHLER, SNIFFEN

Posted By: Joe Landrin (email)
Date: 8/12/2004 at 15:44:35

William Wallace Phelps, only son of Cyrus and Harriet Davis Phelps, was born at Lodi, Kane County, Illinois, December 6, 1861. When he was three years old his parents moved west and settled in Linn County, Iowa. Here he grew to young manhood. He attended church and Sunday School with his parents and was a clean, obedient, industrious lad. Again the family moved westward, this time settling in Ottawa, Kansas. Here William operated a farm for a number of years and later conducted a real estate business. Some time after the death of his parents he left Ottawa and established himself at Oelwein, working on farms and finally securing employment in the Chicago and Great Western car shops.

Mr. Phelps had been in failing health for about three years. A week ago last Monday he suffered a paralytic stroke. As soon as he could be moved he was brought to the home of his niece, Miss Geraldine Gilchrist so that his own relatives might care for him. Death claimed him at 9:45 on Friday morning, January 27th, 1933. During the thirty or more years that he resided at Oelwein Mr. Phelps established a good name for himself and won in his own quiet way many true friends.

Although this brother and friend lived to the age of 71 years, 1 month and 21 days, we would say with Emerson: “A day for toil, an hour for sport, But for a friend is life too short.”
He is survived by three sisters: Mrs. Emily Loffman [Laughlin] of Kansas City, Kansas; Mrs. Ellen Sniffen and Mrs. Ida Cramer of Los Angeles, California. His eldest sister, Mrs. Olive Gilchrist, died in 1910.

The funeral was held Sunday afternoon from the home of Mrs. Florence Mutchler to the Methodist Episcopal church, conducted by Rev. F. R. Maynard, the pastor. Messrs L. J. Dennis and H. W. Holman sang “Jesus Lover of My Soul” and “The City Four Square.” A number of friends from Oelwein joined with local relatives and friends in doing honor to the memory of this good man. Burial was made in Davis cemetery four miles northwest of Center Point.