Francesca Hanemann Phelps

"The song that was the life of Francesca Hanemann Phelps (Frankie), 81, ended on Thursday morning, September 21, in Baton Rouge after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.  Born in New Orleans on March 29, 1936, to Francesca Points Hanemann and Walter Charles Hanemann, Frankie was the eldest of six children. She was raised in St. James Parish and in New Orleans, where her parents gave her a deeply rooted love of family, vibrant Catholic faith, and appreciation of music.  As a youth, she enjoyed basketball and CYO softball and she excelled in her studies.  Frankie received an academic and a Tiger Band scholarship to LSU where she earned a B.S. in Chemistry and played the clarinet. Along the way, she tutored a struggling French student and met her future husband.  She continued her studies at Charity Hospital Medical Technologist School in New Orleans and began her career as a med tech. In 1960, she married Donald T.W. Phelps (Don), and they raised two daughters in Baton Rouge. They celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in August.  Frankie was always on the move: hiking, camping, canoeing, and biking as well as playing tennis and running in local 5k and 10k races. She also enjoyed bird watching, woodcarving, and furniture restoration. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and nurtured her love of history by taking classes through the Lagniappe studies program at LSU and by collecting antiques and touring antebellum homes.  As a long-time member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Frankie helped produce the church bulletin for many years, using an addressograph to mail the bulletin to parishioners. She energetically imparted her faith to her grandchildren, taking them to morning Mass and then out for beignets. Frankie and Don enjoyed traveling and toured Europe and the U.S. many times with family and, occasionally, pets. One hurricane evacuation led to an impromptu cross-country jaunt to the Badlands of South Dakota with the family cat in tow.  Frankie is survived by her husband, Don Phelps, her daughters, Carolyn Phelps Kergosien (Bill) of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and Suzanne Phelps Oliphant (Alex) of Memphis, Tennessee, her brother Tom Hanemann (Maritucker) of Memphis, her sisters Diane Bacon (Gene) of Oakdale, LA, and Sue LaNata (Greg) of Baton Rouge, her sister-in-law Barbara Hanemann of Memphis, as well as her six grandchildren (Elissa Kergosien Wiggins (Patrick), Laura Kergosien McGrath (Patrick), James Kergosien, Daniel Kergosien, Alanna Oliphant, and Michael Oliphant), five great-grandchildren (Amelie McGrath, Maximilian McGrath, Therese McGrath, Jude McGrath, and soon-to-arrive Baby Boy Wiggins), as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and by her brothers, Benedict Hanemann and Walter Hanemann, Jr., her sister-in-law Joan Hanemann, and her great nephew Michael Jacob Bacon.  A visitation and rosary will be held on Saturday, Sept. 30 at our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, beginning at 10:00 am, followed immediately by a funeral Mass at 11:00 am. Afterward she will be buried in New Orleans at the Hanemann family tomb in St. Louis III Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations in celebration of her life may be offered to The Hospice of Baton Rouge (3600 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge LA, 70806) or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (262 Danny Thomas Pl., Memphis TN, 38105).