- Date Of Birth: December 3, 1931
- Date Of Death: January 9, 2016
- State: Missouri
Moberly, MO native and longtime business man Albert Eugene (Gene) Phelps passed away on Saturday January 9, 2016 at the age of 84. He had been in failing health for quite a while.
Gene was born in Moberly on December 3, 1931 to Cova and Nellie (Moore) Phelps.
Gene married Marie Gatterman of the Salisbury area on May 31, 1953, and she preceded him in death, June 7, 2007. Also preceding him in death were his parents, three sisters, Helen Phelps, Anna Lou Phelps Knight, and Alma Phelps Kenisl, and a brother Carson Phelps.
Survivors include his three children: Norma (Phelps) VanHouten and her husband Larry of O’Fallon, MO, Greg Phelps and his wife Tawnia of Moberly, and Stephen Phelps of Mt. Pleasant, WI; two grandchildren Valerie VanHouten and Jennifer (VanHouten) Jackson and her husband Justin; a step-granddaughter Ashley Siebenaler and her husband Rick; great-grandchildren, Hayley and Ethan Jackson; a step great granddaughter Addison Siebenaler; a sister Crystal Phelps Horne of Clovis New Mexico; nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Early Life – Like most boys of his generation Gene worked many jobs in his youth including newspaper boy, Brown Shoe Company, bowling pin sitter and stock boy at grocery stores. He and his older brother Carson, did landscape work for well-known Moberly Architect, Ludwig Apt.
In 1949 Mr. Phelps enlisted in the U.S. Army. He took basic training at Ft. Chaffee, AR then went by train to electronics school in Augusta, GA after which he boarded an Army transport ship and sailed to Yokahoma Japan where he was trained in radio and telecommunications. In September 1950 his unit was sent to Korea and after an eighteen month tour of duty he shipped back the United States where he received an honorable discharge at Camp San Luis Obispo, CA in 1952.
Gene returned home to Moberly after serving his country and completed his high school education and went on to take business courses at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. With his military communications skills and those learned in schooling he worked part time at Swarthout Radio Electric and later began working at Geisler Radio and TV Service. Mr. Phelps purchased that business in 1972 thus creating Phelps Radio and Television (the Zenith dealership in Moberly). The business was located in the 500 block of Coats street.
Gene had varied interests but truly loved classic automobiles. Older brother Carson instilled Gene’s interest in cars. He would do much of the maintenance on his vehicles even until his later years when the mechanics of more current cars made it too difficult for the self-doer to maintain them. He enjoyed music, particularly piano, big band and comedy routines.
He purchased a ski boat and enjoyed boating and water skiing with his family and friends; usually at Thomas Hill Lake or the Lake of the Ozarks. He was an avid bowler. He also became a good cook and particularly good baker. The family particularly enjoyed that talent.
His passion for photography coincided with his love of traveling. He and his wife traveled extensively on Zenith Corporation sponsored trips to England, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, and the Bahamas. Then there were the ‘family’ vacation trips with the children and parents throughout the Midwest and western half of the United States. One of his favorite photos was a double exposure that he took of the base of Hoover Dam and a second shot of windows in the side of a building. The combined photo made it appear that the Hoover Dam had windows in the side of the dam.
Gene participated in numerous civic organizations in Moberly through the years and was a member of the Moolah Shrine. He was baptized at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Moberly, MO.
