Leona Alice Collins Phelps' Obituary
Leona Alice Collin Phelps
October 12, 1914 ~ May 14, 2007
Leona Alice Collins Phelps, a long time resident of Columbia City, died on May 14, 2007 at Spring Meadows Assisted Living Center in St. Helens, Oregon. She was 92 years of age.
Leona was born on October 12, 1914, in the town of Kimball, South Dakota, to Everett and Florence Grinnell Collins. When she was a baby the family moved to Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, where she attended school. She married Claude Phelps on April 27, 1935 in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. In 1944 the family moved to Oregon, settling in Columbia City. Leona was a stay-at-home wife and mother for many years. She then worked at the Rose Gardens in Scappoose and at Birdseye in Hillsboro, Oregon. Leona was noted for her ability to cook, bake, sew, garden, grow berries, and flowers, and make crafts, winning many ribbons at the county fair.
She was preceded in death by her husband Claude Phelps, parents, brothers Floyd, Harold, Maurice, and Merle of Otter Tail Co. MN., Glenn of Seattle, WA, Robert of Spokane, WA, and sister Edith Lewin of Perham, MN, several brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws and a son-in-law.
She is survived by daughters and husbands Shirley and Zeldon Gernhart of Boring, OR, Claudette Stevens of Taylorsville, UT, Clenyce and James Hansen of Apache Junction, AZ, Sheryl and Ron Wise of St. Helens, OR, sister Vera Kindt of California, brother and wife DeWayne and Lila Collins and brother-in-law Vincent Phelps of Otter Tail Co. MN, plus 10 grandchildren, 35 great-granchildren and 7 great-great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel located on Sykes Road in St. Helens, at 11:00 am on Friday, May 18, 2007. Viewing will be at the church 1 hour before the services. Interment will be at Bethany Cemetery, in Warren, OR after the funeral.
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