Fred Phelps: Founder of Westboro Baptist Church Dies at 84

Fred Phelps was an American pastor. Born on November 13, 1929, in Meridian, Mississippi, he founded the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, in 1955.

He and his congregation, many of them his family, became known for picketing the funerals of soldiers and other events with anti-gay signs. The church was widely condemned and the group was countered by protesters and by new laws restricting funeral picketing.

Phelps died in Topeka on March 19, 2014, at age 84, reportedly of natural causes after being excommunicated from the church in 2013.

Achievements: Founder of Westboro Baptist Church.

Birth: November 13, 1929 - Meridian, Mississippi.

Profession: Pastor and lawyer.

Interesting Facts: He was once a civil rights attorney.