Virgil ‘Bud’ Freeman Phelps, 91, of Granite City, IL, passed away at 6:27 a.m. Wed. Aug. 21, 2019 at his home.
He was born Jan. 12, 1928 in Advance, MO to the late Warren & Arlene (Simmers) Phelps.
He and Judith H. Gardner were married Mar. 12, 1983 in Granite City. She survives in Granite City.
Bud was a U.S. Army WWII paratrooper veteran. After his military service, he worked for Coca-Cola and later retired from Cerro Copper & Brass. He loved motorcycles, tinkering on cars and flying and held his private pilot’s license. He had been a member of the 3rd Baptist Church in Granite City and Gospel Light Freewill Baptist Church in Bonne Terre, MO.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by 2 daughters: Brenda (Walter) Phillips of Granite City and Donna Ridgeway of Neelyville, MO; a step-daughter: Lesa (John) Childers of Granite City; 2 step-sons: Richard Earl (Hope) Awalt Jr. of Hazelwood, MO and Jeffery (Melissa) Awalt of Granite City; 7 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by a son: David Phelps; 2 brothers: Raymond Juke Phelps and Billy Phelps Simmers; and a sister: Louise Marie McKinnon.
Graveside services will be at 1:30 p.m. Fri. Aug. 23, 2019, at Bollinger County Memorial Park in Marble Hill, MO.
Memorials may be made to Heartland Hospice.
Arrangements with online information and guestbook through Wojstrom Funeral Home & Crematory may be found at www.wojstrom.com.
