Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps Sr. is dead

Fred Phelps Sr., the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church, has died this week, according to his son Timothy. The passing was confirmed by his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper. He was 84 years old.

Timothy Phelps, son of former Westboro Baptist Church leader #FredPhelps, told WIBW that his father died March 19th before midnight #wibw

— Melissa Brunner (@Melissa_Brunner) March 20, 2014

This news comes less than a week after Fred's estranged son, Nathan Phelps, announced that his father was "on the edge of death."

"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," Nathan Phelps wrote in a recent statement about his father's health last week. "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."

Nathan's father was excommunicated from the "church" since August of 2013. According to The Topeka Capital-Journal, this happened after he called for kinder treatment of fellow church members.

The news outlet reported:

The excommunication occurred after the formation of a board of male elders in the church. The board had defeated Shirley Phelps-Roper, the church's longtime spokeswoman, in a power struggle, and Fred Phelps Sr. called for kinder treatment of fellow church members. The board then ejected Fred Phelps Sr., who founded the church in the 1950s.

What's odd is that another one of his children, Jonathan, who is also the organization's attorney, has denied Fred's death saying, "Pastor Phelps is doing just fine."

Though we could assume that this was maybe a spiritual comment.