Vivian Ann Phelps

Vivian Ann (Reedstrom) Phelps of Mapleton, Minnesota, age 93, died on August 24, 2025.

Funeral Service will be held at 2:00pm Thursday, August 28, 2025 at St. John Lutheran Church in Mapleton, Minnesota. Visitation will be held one and a half hours prior. Burial will follow after service at Sterling Cemetery, Mapleton, MN. Memorials preferred to St. John Lutheran Church, Mapleton. Please share a memory of Vivian with her family and watch the livestream of her service at www.mankatomortuary.com.

Vivian was born on May 26, 1932 to Edward and Stella (Johnson) Reedstrom in Rapidan, Minnesota. She was confirmed in her faith at the Calvary Lutheran Church also of Rapidan. After graduating high school in 1950, she attended Mankato Commercial College. She worked at Metropolitan Life Insurance in Mankato until marrying Robert Phelps on October 19, 1957 and then moved to his family’s farm of rural Mapleton. She was a member of the St. John Lutheran Church of Mapleton, WELCA, and Sterling Community Study Club.

Vivian was affectionately called a “Stubborn Swede” by her husband Bob and this stubbornness was evident when she refused to give up on the family farm upon his unexpected and sudden death in 1984. This trait is also probably why she lived as long as she did. Vivian was an extremely good cook and baker. Being a typical farmwife, she canned and froze produce from her huge garden, made wonderful homemade food, countless to-go meals for the field, and innumerable “baler sandwiches” for those helping with baling or beanwalking. She also made and decorated cakes for many special occasions. Her wedding cakes were especially beautiful. In addition, her Christmas cookies and treats were renowned. She lived by the Scandinavian belief that “no self-respecting baker puts down her wooden spoon until at least a dozen different kinds of cookies are made”. She often made more than this, believing that there should always be variety when it comes to holiday eating. And one certainly cannot omit her love for lefse and lutefisk. She was able to take her dream trip to Norway and Sweden with her brother and sister-in-law in 1999.

Her surviving family includes daughter Juline Berry of Dawsonville, GA, sons James Phelps and Jerome Phelps of Mapleton, MN, and daughter Janelle (Erik) Magelee of Mapleton, MN, three granddaughters – Savannah (Ben), Katelyn, and Megan, 1 great-grandson - Everett, sister-in-law Karen Reedstrom of Notre Dame, IN, and many nieces and nephews.

She is reunited in death with her husband, parents, and brother Donald.

The live stream link below is a complimentary service provided by Mankato Area Funeral Homes.

Unforeseen technical, internet, facility, and/or acoustical circumstances may produce a diminished end product. Please note, if the live stream does not appear, we are attempting to record and publish the service for later viewing.