Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Phelps, Phil "Roy", Sr. 1959 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net September 11, 2016, 11:09 am Ionia Sentinel Standard, 25 Sep 1959 Roy Phelps Dies Here Thursday. Phil Roy Phelps, 76, retired general traveling freight agent of the Pere Marquette railroad system and a native Ionian, died at the Ionia County Memorial hospital Thursday evening after an extended illness. Mr. Phelps had been removed to the hospital Tuesday. He had been ill for more than a year. An employee of the Pere Marquette railroad 43 years before his retirement in 1946 Mr. Phelps was appointed general traveling freight agent of the system at Cincinnati in 1926 and his work took him throughout the nation. Born in Easton township March 4, 1883, he was the son of Ida and Dell Phelps. He was graduated from Ionia high school in 1902 and while a student was a star athlete. In October 1903 he entered the employment of the Pere Marquette railroad in Ionia in the freight office. In 1908 he was transferred to Portland as agent there. A year later he was sent to Plymouth as agent and 1912 was transferred to Toledo, Ohio, being attached to the traffic department. His appointment was traveling general freight agent at Cincinnati followed in 1926. Since his retirement in 1946 Mr. and Mrs. Phelps have lived at 524 High street. He was married to Addie May Edwards of Mansfield, Ohio, in Ionia, March 31, 1918. Phelps was active in Ionia affairs before he was transferred. He was a member of the Ionia Kid Band before the turn of the century and was one of the active organizers of Company A Signal Corps being mustered in 1906. He became one of the detachment’s first commanders, becoming first lieutenant succeeding Ed Nisle when Nisle moved from Ionia. Company A Signal Corps was commanded by two first lieutenants (it had no captain) Charles Dumont and Ed Nisle. He was veteran of World War I and served overseas as battalion sergeant-major. He belonged to the Scottish Rite of Valley of Columbus, Ohio, was a charter member of F&AM Lodge, Mariemont, Cincinnati, Ohio; a charter member and past commander of the American Legion Post 146, Mariemont; a member of the Ionia Elks lodge since 1907. Mr. Phelps also was active in railroad organizations. He was a member of the Pere Marquette Railroad Employee’s association, a life member of the Cincinnati Traffic club, the Passenger club and the Louisville Traffic club and an honorary member of the Cincinnati Traffic Association. He was a member of the Mariemont Community church and served on the Boy Scout Council of Honor of Cincinnati for many years. He is survived by his wife; two sons, S-Sgt. Jack A. Phelps, USAF of Syracuse, N.Y.; Major Phil Roy Phelps, Jr., USA in Korea and six grandchildren. Major Phelps is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Funeral services are to be conducted Monday, September 28, at 2:30 p.m. at the Myers funeral home. The Rev. Alfred Miller, pastor of the First Baptist church of Ionia, will officiate. Burial will be at Oak Hill cemetery. A memorial fund is being established by the Phelps family for the Boy Scouts of America. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/p/phelps33741nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 3.6 Kb