Goldie E. Rhodes

Goldie Eulala Parsons Rhodes, 97, of Ripley, WV, formerly of Gay, passed into the arms of her loving Lord on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, at Eldercare in Ripley, after a brief illness. Born on July 17, 1921, she was a daughter of the late Ernie and Etta Mae (Allen) Parsons. She was one of 11 children. Goldie lived most of her life in Allentown and Gay, before moving to Ripley with her husband, Ores, in 1999. In addition to her late husband Ores A. Rhodes, she is preceded in death by her parents, nine siblings, grandsons Anthony Rhodes, Michael Rhodes, and Dominic Tarantini, sons-in-law Carroll Lee Southall, Michael J.C. Tarantini, Dwight Knopp, and daughter-in-law Darlene Rhodes. Goldie was a faithful member of the Ripley Tabernacle Church until her health prevented her from attending regularly. She enjoyed making special seasonal mementos for the young Sunday school class. After raising 12 children on her and Ores’ 200-acre farm in Gay, she worked for Rural Arts & Crafts, as a seamstress at the sewing factory, and as a much-appreciated baker for McCoy’s Best Western in Ripley where she was well-known for her baked goods, especially pies and hot rolls. She met many travelers during her years there, some of whom she maintained contact with throughout her life. Goldie loved to cook for her children and other relatives and friends, and enjoyed large Sunday dinners on the farm and then in Ripley. In earlier years, she worked tirelessly not only with raising her children and babysitting some of the grandchildren, but with raising huge gardens, canning all sorts of homegrown vegetables and fruits, and tending to the cows and other farm animals. In her “spare time” and in later years, you could find her making beautiful hand-pieced quilts and crocheting afghans and intricate doilies and other pieces, mostly for gifts or for raffle to raise money for worthy causes. In addition to her quilts and applesauce stack cakes, she was best known for being the family’s historian, able to recollect details of her life’s activities and events, keeping everyone reminded of the importance of their ancestors’ lives. She had quick wit and often left her family and friends laughing as they enjoyed endless stories and anecdotes of the past. When you needed her help, she was always there for her family and others who knew her, sometimes sending quilts to missionaries for others in need. In addition to her sister Stella (Parsons) Leach of Marietta, Ohio, Goldie is survived by seven sons, Elmer Rhodes (Margaret), Delmer Rhodes, and Jesse Rhodes (Mary) of Gay; Darrell Rhodes (Janice) of Leroy; Bernard Rhodes of Leon; Russell Rhodes (Eva) of Ripley, and Joseph Rhodes (Debbie) of Evans, and five daughters, Gladys Rhodes Knopp and Carolyn Rhodes Johnson of Ripley; Macel Rhodes of Morgantown; Kathleen Rhodes Herdman (Mark) of Leon, and Regenia Rhodes-Rawson (Randy) of Medina. She is also survived by 23 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, 3 step great-grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren, 4 step great-great grandchildren, as well as a number of loving nieces and nephews. Friends may call at Waybright Funeral Home in Ripley, from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2018 and 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, with funeral services at 1:00 p.m. at Waybright Funeral Home with Reverends Jeff Keffer and Mike Elder officiating. Interment will follow at Evans Cemetery in Gay, WV. In lieu of flower, contributions in Goldie’s memory may be made to either Evans Cemetery or Napier Cemetery, c/o Waybright Funeral Home, 511 South Church Street, Ripley, WV 25271.