Robert Lyle Phelps 1931 - 2020

QUICK, PHELPS, ANDERSON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 8/6/2020 at 23:23:28

Sioux City Journal
14 June 2020

Robert L. Phelps

Northfield, Minn., formerly of Sioux City

Robert Lyle Phelps, 88, longtime Northfielder and St. Olaf College administrator, formerly of Sioux City, died peacefully with his daughters by his side, Saturday afternoon, June 6, 2020.

Services were held on June 10, at Bethel Lutheran Church in Northfield, Minn. Burial was in Oak Lawn cemetery. Condolences may be sent online to www.northfieldfuneral.com.

Born on July 1, 1931, in Sioux City, Bob was the only child of Lyle R. Phelps and Helen Quick Phelps. He grew up there and was graduated from Morningside College in 1953. Bob earned his master's degree in journalism at Syracuse University, where he met Thora Anderson, another transplanted Iowan studying college student personnel administration.

Bob and Thora returned to the Midwest, Bob as writer and editor at the Sioux City Journal, and Thora to her position on the Dean of Women's staff at St. Olaf. They were married in December 1955 and moved to Sioux City, where Bob later taught English at Morningside College. In 1961, Bob, Thora and their daughters moved to Menomonie, Wis., where he taught English and journalism at UW Stout. They moved to Northfield in 1969, where Bob served for 25 years on the St. Olaf staff–first as director of the News Bureau and Sports Information Director. During the 70s and early 80s, he also served as manager of the St. Olaf Band. In 1983, Bob joined the St. Olaf development staff as director of Government and Foundation Relations.

Bob was very active in the Northfield community as a member of Rotary, NAG, the Historical Society and Bethel Lutheran Church. In his retirement years, Bob continued to write professionally and for personal enjoyment as well as partaking in many traveling adventures with Thora.

Survivors include two daughters, Margaret (Victor) Hahn of Columbus, Ohio, and Ruth Phelps of Woodbury, Minn.; two grandsons, Andrew (Heather) Hahn of Springfield, Ohio, and David (Amy) Hahn of Minneapolis; great-grandchildren, Jovie Thora and John Paxton Hahn of Springfield; sisters-in-law, Mary Herrlinger, of Mesa, Ariz., and Eileen Anderson, of Cedar Falls, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews.

Special thanks to the staff of The Gables, Boutwells Landing—Presbyterian Homes in Oak Park Heights, Minn., for their loving, respectful care of Bob in his last year.

Memorials may be designated for Bethel Lutheran Church, St. Olaf College, Morningside College or the donor's choice.