| Honored by: | Denise Phelan Ostrem, Karen Phelan Reed, Mona Phelan Feltault, Vicki Phelan Biller, Lori Phelan Good, Mike Phelan, Tim Phelan, Jacquie Phelan, and Shannon Phelan |
| Brick location: | G:4 map |
We would like to honor our mother by having her name included in the Plaza of Heroines at Iowa State University. She was born into an Irish-Catholic family in the middle of four brothers on a farm north of Perry, Iowa. She married John Phelan, a friend of her family's, a year after graduating from high school. A year later she started her family. Her eldest child was born in 1953 and her youngest in 1977.
Her entire life has been dedicated to raising nine children, seven daughters and two sons, also on a farm north of Perry. Her complete dedication to her children and her ever-present faith in God has been an inspiration to all who know her. Probably her strongest legacy she has passed on to her children is the importance of a good education. With her strong encouragement and the unwavering financial support of her husband, every one of her children who is of age has graduated from college.
She has helped guide her children, each into a different career choice, and continued to offer support and interest as they now reside in seven different states. The memories of our childhood days and all her hard work and constant presence and emotional support will always remain with us as we raise our own families, who now total fifteen grandchildren. The successes of her children can be attributed to her complete selflessness and her ever-present interest in us and her drive to see that we do the best that we can. She has been a wonderful mother and we feel that this is still the most important career of all. Her impact will go on for generations.
3/11/95