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Phelps Family

First Known American Ancestors

Our original Phelps ancestor is George Phelps, whose lineage is documented here.

Ronald Aaron Noble Phelps was born in 1819 and married Sarah Jerusha Adams in 1847. Their children:

  1. Alfred Aaron 'Squire' Phelps (biography) was born on 14 Feb 1849 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois. Alfred married Addie Mary Cable and they had four children. Alfred acquired the nickname "Squire" as he served as a judge for several years. He was a real estate agent in his later life. Squire rode in the Buffalo Bill's Wild West show for several years. Alfred d. 2 Apr 1916 in Peoria, Illinois.
  2. Emma Ella Phelps was born on 23 Dec 1850 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois. She died at age 19 months on 7 Aug 1852 in Wataga, Knox, Illinnois.
  3. William 'Willie' L. Phelps was born on 7 Jul 1853 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois. He died at 3 1/2 years on 3 Apr 1857 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois.
  4. Thadeus Merrill Phelps (my g. grandfather) was born on 4 Oct 1856 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois. [The Phelps Family in America gives his name as "Thomas." However, my grandfather, Harold Bartle Phelps, crossed this out and wrote in "Thaddeus." Thadeus' printed wedding announcement gives the spelling of "Thadeus" with a single "d", as does his death certificate.] Thadeus m. Helen Lindsay Bartle on 7 Mar 1883 in Cromwell, Iowa. As of 2021, only boys have been born among Thadeus' five generations of descendants. Helen Bartle d. age 40 on 23 Mar 1902 in Pasadena. Thadeus d. 13 May 1932 in Glendale, California.
    1. Helen Elizabeth Phelps was born on 16 Dec 1883 in Creston, Iowa. She died on 19 Sep 1955 in Los Angeles Co., California. She never married. The cause of death was cirrhosis of liver.
    2. Blanche Adams Phelps was born on 4 Mar 1889. She married J. E. Geoff and later, Lester Ryan, but had no children. She died 16 Dec 1956 in Pasadena, California.
    3. Mildred Phelps was born in 1891 in Peoria, Illinois. She died at age 22 on 2 May 1913. She never married.
    4. Harold Bartle "Bart" Phelps Sr. was born on 3 Dec 1893 in Peoria, Illinois. He served in the U.S. Navy during both World War I and World War II as a telegrapher and radioman. He met Betty Christy on a blind double date and married her within a few months. They had one son, my father. He died 9 Mar 1984 in San Mateo, San Mateo Co., California.
  5. Ernest Harmon Phelps was born on 3 Mar 1859 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois. He became a Telegraph Operator, married and lived most of his life in Los Angeles, where his descendants still live today. His son Newell Butler Phelps had a son, Dr. James Phelps, who practiced for many years in Pasadena.
  6. Frederick M. Phelps was born in 1861 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois. He m. Amanda Cook on 2 Apr 1891 in Alliance, Box Butte, Nebraska. They had one daughter, Gladys G. who died at 7 months in 1894. They never had another child. According to the 1920 census, Fred and his wife Amanda had seven roomers. In the 1930 census, they are shown to own a home worth $15,000 and had four roomers. Frederick d. age 90 in Alliance, Box Butte, Nebraska.
  7. Oliver N. Phelps was born in 10 Feb 1866 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois. He married Katherine L. Staley on 5 Feb 1894. He served in the military twice between 4 Jun 1898 and 3 May 1903. He was dishonerably discharged and on 9 Nov 1903 began serving a prison term for forgery at San Quentin Prison, San Rafael, Marin County, California. He was paroled on 3 Mar 1906, and re-imprisonsed for raping a child on 3 Oct 1906. He was paroled two more times and each time was returned to prison for parole violations within a few months. He died at Folsom State Prison, Sacramento, Sacramento, California on 14 May 1938.
  8. Ada M. Phelps was born 26 Jan 1870 in Wataga, Knox, Illinois. She married John David Norman Burkhalter. They had a daughter, Gertrude 'Gertie' B Burkhalter, b. 30 Nov. 1891 in Illinois. John d. 3 March 1892 in Galesburg, Knox, Illinois at age 22. Ada moved to Los Angeles before 1913. She d. 7 Apr 1946 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Gertie d. 10 Jan 1979 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.