Long-time Protection resident Earl Hubert Rhodes died on Monday, March 17, 2003 at the Comanche County Hospital in Coldwater, Kansas. He lived to the age of 83 years.

Earl was born at Los Alamos, New Mexico, on February 3, 1920. He was the son of William Hartwell Arnolphus and Aletha Lorena (Smith) Rhodes.

A farmer and a rancher, Rhodes also raised horses. He lived in Protection through most of the years of his life. He attended grade school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and graduated from Valley High School in Anthony, New Mexico with the Class of 1940. Later he attended the National Defense Training School at the University of New Mexico.

A veteran of World War II, Earl served in the United States Air Force from 1942 to 1946.

He helped to found the Bit and Spur Rodeo Club in Protection, and was also a member of the American Legion here.

On June 1, 1954, he married Henrietta Westervelt at Columbus, Kansas. Henrietta as a librarian and teacher in the Protection school system for almost two decades (1970 to 1980). She preceded him in death on June 12, 1990.

In addition to his wife, Earl was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers, and two sisters.

Earl is survived by one son, Bill Rhodes and his wife Teresa of Hooker, Oklahoma; two daughters, Mary Clark of Elk City, Oklahoma, and Nancy McVay and her husband Mike of Beaver, Oklahoma; one brother Glen Rhodes of Seattle, Washington; three sisters, Norma Leonie of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Billie Jean Barton and Betty Jo Charles, both of Las Cruces, New Mexico; 7 grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

Funeral services were to be this afternoon (Thursday, March 20) at the United Methodist Church in Protection. Presiding was to be the Rev. Dennis Carter.

Burial will follow at the Protection Cemetery, with full military honors.

Memorials to Earl Hubert Rhodes may be sent to Protection Valley Manor, in care of Hatfield-Prusa Funeral Home, P.O. Box 417, Coldwater, KS 67029.

Henrietta Rhodes, long time friend and resident of Protection died Tuesday, June 12, 1990 at her home at the age of 63.

Henrietta Louise Rhodes was born on Dec. 28, 1926 in Mineral, Kan. to John and Louise Westervelt.

She attended grade school in Sherman and Columbus, Kan., and then graduated from high school in Columbus in 1944.

Henrietta was 17 years old when she began her teaching career. She started teaching in a one-room schoolhouse with no electricity, no running water, no janitor, no furnace, and she thought it was fun. She started teaching the year she graduated because of the teacher shortage caused by World War II.

She continued her own education by correspondence classes, night classes and summer school.

While teaching in Meade, she met and then married Earl H. Rhodes on June 1, 1954. He survives.

Other survivors include: a son, Bill, Hooker, Okla.; two daughters, Mary Clark, Elk City, Okla., and Nancy McVay, Amarillo; and five grandchildren.

Henrietta took a 13-year leave-of-absence from teaching to raise her children. She returned to teaching in 1968.

While teaching and being a wife and mother, she took night classes and summer school and earned her masters degree in education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Alva.

She was in the education field for 33 years; 19 of which were served in USD 300, before retiring in 1989.

Henrietta was a member of the United Methodist Church of Protection. She also was a member of the NEA teaching organization, the Kansas Association of School Librarians, Delta Kappa Gamma, Eastern Star, and United Methodist Women.

Henrietta was laid to rest Friday, June 15, 1990. Presiding over the service was Rev. Juanita Catlin. Burial was in the Protection Cemetery.

Memorials may be sent to the USD 300 Library Fund, in care of the Hatfield-Prusa Funeral Home in Coldwater.

Mom's greatest love was "curling up with a good book" and spending time with friends and family. She'll be dearly missed.

Also see:

The Wilmore, Kansas, School Attendance Center Yearbook, 1969. The book includes a photo of Henrietta Rhodes.

Thanks to Kathleen Gregory for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!

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