Maria Theresia Phelps was born on August 3, 1928 to Morris and Theresia Unterseher in Thannhaun, Germany. She met James D. Phelps, Jr. while he was stationed in Germany from 1951 to 1952, after which she came to the United States and they were married on February 27, 1953 in Nashville. She and James would both remain in Nashville.
Preceding her in death is her husband, James who passed away on November 14, 2003; her parents; and twin sister, Hilda Boucher (in Kansas) December 17, 2009; another sister Rosi Leopold (in Germany) May 13, 2019.
Surviving is her daughter, Lore Phelps; son, James Phelps; grandson, Michael (Holly) Phelps; two great granddaughters, Mailey and Carly Phelps; a great grandson, Michael Camden Phelps-Hilton; brother-in-law, Jack (Mary Ann) Phelps; and several nieces and nephews. Also surviving in Germany is her sister, Erna Unterseher; brother-in-law, Toni Leopold; nephew, Willy (Sabine) Leopold; and a great niece, Jessica Leopold.
Family was first and foremost in Maria's life. She loved each and every one of them greatly. She also deeply loved and appreciated her church family very much. She attended Park Avenue Baptist Church for many years, and was a long-time member of the Temple Bible Class, of which her husband, James, was the founding member. Since February of 2005, she has been a member of Bellevue Baptist Church.
Maria worked most of her life as a homemaker. She took care of her children, and spent many hours attending to her vegetable garden that she and James had. She also worked at Bellevue High School in the Cafeteria for over 17 years. She retired in May of 1988.
A gathering of family and friends will be on Sunday, July 7, 2019 from four o'clock in the afternoon until seven o'clock in the evening at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will be on Monday, July 8, 2019 at eleven thirty in the morning in Woodlawn's Dignity Hall with Pastor Larry Wakefield officiating. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
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