Westboro’s Fred Phelps ‘on the edge of death,’ son says

The estranged son of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps Sr. said his father is “on the edge of death.”

Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., 84, led the infamous church by spreading hateful messages during the high-profile funerals of military personnel and famous figures.

“I’ve learned that my father, Fred Phelps, Sr., pastor of the ’God Hates Fags’ Westboro Baptist Church, was ex-communicated from the ’church’ back in August of 2013,” Nathan Phelps wrote in a Facebook post. “He is now on the edge of death at Midland Hospice house in Topeka, Kansas.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about this. Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made,” he continued. “I feel sad for all the hurt he’s caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved. And I’m bitterly angry that my family is blocking the family members who left from seeing him, and saying their good-byes.”

A second estranged son, Mark, said the news “is accurate.”

A Westboro spokesman confirmed that the elder Phelps is in hospice care with “a couple things going on,” but that “the source that says he’s near death is not well informed,” USA Today reported.