PHELPS, Georgia Willamette

The Verde Independent, Cottonwood, Arizona Monday, April 23, 2012 Georgia Willamette "Billie" Fehrman Phelps, passed away peacefully at her daughter Jayne Lauman's home in Sedona shortly after midnight on Thursday, April 5, just a few days after celebrating her 95th birthday. She was born on March 31, 1917, to Benjamin Crawford and Lucille Fehrman, Cosper, in Clifton, Arizona, and was the older sister of Ben Fehrman, now deceased. Georgia is survived by her three daughters, Marjorie Joy (Richard), Jayne Lauman (George "Pat"), and Nancy Bowen (John), her grandchildren Thomas Joy, Stephen Lauman, and Kendra Lauman Palmer (Jim), and her great-grandchildren Oak and Rozelle Palmer, as well as her nephew Alan Fehrman (Jan), her niece Andrea Arnason, and their children. Georgia grew up in Clifton, Arizona, where her mother was clerk of the court for Greenlee County following her father's early death. Georgia successfully campaigned for her mother's reelection several times before leaving for college. She attended Arizona State College, now Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education. During her college years she was a ballet dancer and a champion tennis player. She spent one semester attending the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. After college, Georgia returned to Clifton to teach, and there she met her husband William ("Bill") Earl Phelps. They were married on Christmas Day, 1940. They were blessed with four children, although their firstborn, William Crawford, died at the age of ten months. The couple spent three years apart during WWII. After the war they lived in Fresno, California, where Marjorie was born, then moved to Eugene, Oregon, where Jayne and Nancy were born. Bill Phelps died in 1963, and in the following year, after over 20 years as a homemaker, Georgia returned to teaching. She and the girls moved to Sierra Vista, Arizona, and Georgia taught fourth graders at the Ft. Huachuca Army base for two years. In 1966 the family moved to Oakridge, Oregon, where Georgia taught at the elementary school in nearby Westfir. The following year they moved to Eugene, Oregon, where Georgia did substitute teaching. Then in 1968 they moved to Silverton, Oregon, where Georgia taught first grade for several years at a small elementary school near Mt. Angel, Oregon. After all three girls had left for college, Georgia moved to Kanab, Utah, to be near her mother. There she worked as a medical transcriptionist at the local hospital, and during summers worked at the Thunderbird Inn near Bryce and Zion National Parks. Finally in 1983 Georgia returned to Arizona, first to Safford, where many of her relatives lived, and then to Cottonwood, Arizona, where she lived independently for nearly 30 years. She was active in the Cottonwood community as a substitute teacher during the school year and as a seasonal ranger at Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle National Monuments in the summer. She was also active in church, most recently at St. Thomas Episcopal in Clarkdale, Arizona. She volunteered at the Cottonwood library and provided aid to elderly people under the Senior Companion program. She remained active into her 90s, and up through last year was a Foster Grandparent Volunteer at Tavasci Elementary and Daniel Bright Elementary schools, serving as a mentor, tutor, and care giver to children and youth with exceptional needs. She was honored as a recipient of the Northern Arizona Accomplished Elder Award in 2010 and was featured in two articles in the Verde Independent newspaper for her mentoring work. Georgia was a great advocate of education throughout her life, especially higher education. Her own bachelor's degree enabled her to support her children after her husband's death, and she encouraged all of her daughters to go to college. They followed her advice; as between them they have three bachelor's degrees, four master's degrees, and a Ph.D. Georgia was an avid sports fan and followed tennis closely. She also enjoyed rooting for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Parades were one of her very favorite things, and she loved to watch marching bands perform at half time during football games on TV. She was generous to a fault, and was loved by many, many friends and relatives, with whom she kept avidly in touch. She will be greatly missed. Services will be held on Saturday, April 28, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 889 First South Street, Clarkdale, AZ 86324. A reception will follow in the parish hall. Those unable to attend may pay their respects at buelerfamilyfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Foster Grandparent Program, in care of Civic Service Institute, P.O. Box 5063, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5063, CHA Foundation and mailed to Hospice Compassus, 70 Bell Rock Plaza, Suite A, Sedona, AZ 86351, or a charity of your choice. Information provided by survivors.