William (Bill) Edward Phelan

William “Bill” E. Phelan age 90 of Currie, MN died Friday, November 2, 2012 at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy, MN. Services will be held 11:00 AM Friday, November 9, 2012 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Currie. Visitation will be from 5:00 until 7:00 PM Thursday, November 8, 2012 at the church in Currie, with a rosary at 5:00 PM and a prayer service at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue from 9:00 AM until the time of service at the church on Friday morning. Interment will be in the Calvary Cemetery in Currie, with a luncheon served in the church social hall immediately following the burial. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the arrangements. William “Bill” Edward Phelan was born December 21, 1921 to Francis J. and Brida M. (Kavanaugh) Phelan in Currie, MN, Murray County. He was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith and attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Currie. After a lengthy bout with Inflammatory Rheumatism that kept him out of school while his mother cared for him, he graduated from I.H.M. High School in June of 1943. The youngest of five children, he grew up in the concrete block house, built from the Phelan owned Des Moines Cement & Tile Works, across the street from the church. During his childhood he worked in the theatre in Currie as an usher and later he worked for two grocery stores in town, delivering groceries in his wagon. Bill moved to the Phelan farm and farmed along with his brother Vincent, and Uncles, William J., Jr. and James his whole life. In his later years of farming he worked as a hired man for several neighbors. He retired from farming in 1991, but remained on the farm until the fall of 2006, when he became a resident of Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy. He was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Currie and his faith was very important to him. He unselfishly donated to the missions, following the example set by his mother in doing the same. Bill enjoyed playing softball in his younger years, and enjoyed fishing, music, local high school sports, watching town team baseball, listening to the Minnesota Twins and watching Vikings Football. He loved to play the accordion, of which he owned several over the years, and enjoyed playing for family and friends. Bill also liked to travel, and made many trips with his brother, Vincent to visit their family in other states, as well as, traveling to places such as New Orleans, Colorado, and Thunder Bay, Ontario in Canada. On Friday, November 2, 2012 Bill died at the Prairie View Healthcare Center at the age of 90, surrounded by friends and family. Bill is survived by his many nieces, nephews and their families, who cared about him for many years, and many friends. His parents, his three brothers, Joseph (Florence) Phelan, Gerald (Flossie) Phelan and Vincent (Alicia) Phelan and one sister, Marie (Loren) Anderson and their spouses preceded him in death. Blessed be his memory.