THE REVEREND WILLIAM JAMES RHODES 1929-2010 Obituary
THE REVEREND WILLIAM JAMES RHODES, age 80 years, a resident of St. George, WV, departed this life Saturday morning, January 16, 2010 at Ruby Memorial Hospital at Morgantown, following a massive stroke at his home.
He was born Tuesday, March 26, 1929 at Wyco, WV, a son of the late Charles Watts and Bessie Lane Kirk Rhodes. On June 22, 1953 at Brenton, WV, he was married to the former Emma Ruth Blankenship, who survives. They had celebrated fifty six years of marriage.
Also surviving are four sons, Timothy James Rhodes and wife Susan of Salem, VA, Nathan Charles Rhodes and wife Pamela of Gorman, MD, The Rev. Paul Angelo Rhodes and wife Annette of Sugarland, The Rev. William “Todd” Rhodes and wife Michelle of Harman; one daughter, Karen Lynn Bastian and husband Chris of Roanoke, VA; three sisters, his twin, Betty Jane Green and husband Carl of Mullens, WV, Sally Cash of South Carolina, Shelby Robert and husband J.T. of Wooster, OH; thirteen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.
Preceding him in death are seven brothers, Harry Ervin, George Raymond, Sanford Mason, Charles Paul, Ray Jackson, Theodore and John Darrell Rhodes; four sisters, Latha May Winkler, Frances Moorefield, Margaret Lee Lawrence and Beula Irene Harper.
He was a graduate of Mullens High School with the class of 1947, where he was a member of the Football Squad of which he was Captain. He was a coal miner. He was a Veteran of the United States Army serving during the Korean Conflict. He worked for the Radford Arsenal in VA. He then went to work for the WV Turnpike. He worked as a Foreman for Corson & Gruman Asphalt Co. at DC and at the same time he started into the Ministry where he built two churches, one in Dumfries and Fredericksburg, VA. He was Pastor for many years in Virginia and West Virginia and at the time of his death he was Pastor at the Gorman Church of God in MD. He was an avid Outdoorsman. He loved his God and his family.
The family will receive friends at the Parsons Church of God at Parsons on Wednesday from 4 to 7 PM. Final rites will be conducted at the Church on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 11 AM. A Celebration of Life will be shared by his children and grandchildren. Interment will follow at the Parsons City Cemetery at Parsons, where the H.W. Daniels Post #29 American Legion and the Tygart Valley Post # 3647 Veterans of Foreign War and the Tucker Co. Veterans Assoc. will conduct full military rites.
THE REVEREND WILLIAM JAMES RHODES 1929-2010 Obituary
