Madeline Ann Phelps

Home: Spokane Valley, WA

Death Date: January 23, 2013

Birthdate: October 14, 1922

Place Of Birth: Lewiston, Idaho

Service Information: January 30th 11:00 A.M.

Service Location: Pines Mausoleum

Madeline Ann (Stamper) Phelps, 90, passed away at Colonial Court, Spokane Valley, January 23, 2013.

Born October 14,1922 in Lewiston, Idaho at her Grandmother Stamper’s house. She was the second of two children born to Ruth Edith (Platt) and Cecil Lawrence Stamper. Her father worked in logging, construction and the railroad. Her mother was a homemaker. She had one brother, Thorvald Stamper, who was three years older. The family moved to the Spokane Valley in 1932. She attended schools in the WV district and graduated from West Valley H.S. in 1940. Putting to work her commercial skills of typing, bookkeeping, and shorthand learned at West Valley, she went to work in November of 1940 with the Works Progress Administration in Spokane. During this time, she also attended night school at the Spokane Trade School, to further her secretarial skills. From November 1940 until her retirement in1989 she worked first as a federal employee and then as a city of Spokane employee. She retired from federal employment, her last job being with the Bureau of Reclamation, in 1973 after 23 and a 1/2 years and then retired from the city Planning Department in April 1989. She had worked altogether 49 years. She exemplified a hard work ethic and enjoyed working with the employees she met in all her jobs.

She met Richard Leon Phelps who was stationed at Felts Field during WWII; and married him in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1943. Their only child Leon Noel Phelps was born May 19, 1945 in San Antonio, Texas where Richard was stationed. Richard had enlisted in the Army in May 1940 and was discharged in October 1945. He served in the European theatre during WWII. After his discharge, in 1945, they returned to the Spokane Valley, where they worked and raised Leon until Richard died suddenly of a heart attack, March 16, 1954 at the age of 44. This left her a single parent with a 9 year old boy to raise at the age of 32. She never remarried.

She lovingly raised Leon and watched him serve in the military in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. She was very proud of his successes. After Vietnam, when he got out of the military and returned to Spokane, his sudden death was her second tragedy. Leon died in a motorcycle accident in March 1980 at the age of 35. This was a profound loss from which she never recovered.

By Leon’s 2nd birthday, they had moved to their house on Utah, which she still owns 66 years later. She enjoyed her family, her friends, gardening, nature, her flowers, her yard, and the company of her cats. After retirement, she participated in clogging and line dancing. In her earlier years, she hunted and fished with her parents and her son. Her life was characterized by hard work. Fiercely independent, she strived to be self-sufficient until the end. She had a sense of humor and enjoyed telling stories. Her last 3 years were spent at Colonial Court. The family would like to thank all the people at Colonial Court for their kindness and care of Madeline. She enjoyed her time there and once again formed friendships. Thank you to Family Home Care & Hospice for their wonderful support and care.

Survivors include her only grandchild Christopher B. Phelps and his wife Jackie, her only great -grandchild Grace Noel Phelps, her daughter-in-law Carole A. Korff, niece: Sheila Leuer, and her 3 daughters, Cynthia, Lisa, and Nancy; and nephew: Robert Stamper , his wife Nancy and their daughter, Suzanne.