Creola was born May 9, 1923, in Ralls, Texas, and passed away August 5, 2017, at Lindan Park Nursing Home in Richardson, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her husband - Leon ‘Roy’ Phelps, Jr., parents - Claude & Lottie Mae Henderson, and siblings - Gerald Henderson, J. L. Henderson, & Mike Henderson. She is survived by her sister - Jessie Mae Boyles & Husband, Richard (Lubbock, TX); children - Teresa Bledsoe & Husband, Thomas (Charlotte, NC), Marilyn Elliott (Dallas), Kenneth Phelps (Houston), & Dennis Phelps (Austin); grandchildren – Natalie Elliott (Carrollton), Scott Bledsoe & Wife, Denise (Charlotte, NC), Amanda Barnes & Husband, Chad (Tyler), Nicholas Phelps (Chicago, IL), Lauren Emge& Husband, Justin (St. Louis, MO) & Allison Elliott (Dallas); great-grandchildren – Nathan, Rebekah, & Hudson Barnes (Tyler); and many nieces and nephews and their families.
Creola graduated from Ballinger High School in Ballinger, TX, in 1940. She worked for Civil Service in Dallas during WWII, during which time she met Roy at a USO Dance in San Angelo, TX. They married during the war in Dallas on September 8, 1944, and were able to spend three months together before Roy returned to active duty as a flight navigator in England.
Following the end of the war and Roy’s return to the States in 1945, they moved to St. Louis, MO for him to return to his pre-war position with the Kilgen Pipe Organ Company. Shortly afterwards the company moved the family to Louisville, KY, and then back again to St. Louis.
In 1950,Creola and Roy moved to Eldorado, TX, where they raised their four children. Roy owned the Western Auto store and Creola worked as the Schleicher County School Tax Assessor.
They were active members of the First Baptist Church of Eldorado, and Creola served for many years as the church’s pianist and organist. She was also the pianist for the Lions Club and was involved in many other church, school, and civic activities.
In 1966, they moved to Waco, TX where Roy served as the pipe organ technician for Baylor University and Creola worked primarily as a bookkeeper. They were active members of Seventh and James Baptist Church, and Creola was the pianist for the Northwest Kiwanis Club and was a volunteer story hour reader at the Lake Air Library branch She was also active in the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) and in 1974 served as President of the Cotton Palace Chapter. That same year she was selected as the chapter’s “Businesswoman of the Year.”
In 1988, Creola moved to Dallas where she began a long career as a Tour Director for Dan Dipert Tours, directing tours all over the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, Canada, and Europe. In 1995, she entered the Ms. Texas Sr. America Pageant and was selected as the 2nd Runner-Up.
In 1993, Creola began working part time for Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) where she worked for almost 19 years, retiring in 2012 just before her 89th birthday. At her retirement party, she was honored as the oldest BCBS employee in the United States, and the Mayor of Richardson declared that date as “Creola Phelps Day.”
Creola’s unshaken faith guided her throughout her life, and at the time of her death, she was a member of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. In addition to supporting her local churches throughout her life, she was also a faithful supporter of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Throughout her adult life, when Creola was asked how she was doing, her signature reply was, “If I was doing any better, I couldn’t stand it.” By the grace of God through Jesus Christ, her Lord, that statement is now truer than it has ever been.
A joyous celebration of Creola’s life will be held at Wilshire Baptist Church, 4316 Abrams Road, Dallas, TX, 75214, on Saturday, August 26, at 2:00 pm with a reception to follow in the church parlor.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to one of the following:
• Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201
• First Baptist Church of Eldorado, 109 W Gillis Ave, Eldorado, TX 76936
• Wilshire Baptist Church, Pathways Ministry, 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas, TX 75214
• Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas, IMPACT Program, 1702 N. Collins Blvd., #170, Richardson, TX 75080.
