In Memory Of
Bonnell B. Rhodes
1918
2012
Bonnell B. Rhodes
October 1, 1918 — March 30, 2012
Bonnell "Bonnie" Rhodes, 93 years young, passed away on March 30 after a sudden bout of pneumonia while visiting friends in Sun City, AZ. She lived independently at Primrose Retirement in Casper, drove her own car, took care of her own finances and played a mean game of bridge right up to her illness.
Bonnie was born Oct 1, 1918 to Charles and Gertrude (Pointer) Deisher in Odessa, Missouri. She grew up on a farm outside of town and attended school in Odessa until she went to William Jewell College in Liberty, MO where she first met her future husband, Howard Rhodes. Ever impetuous, they dated for a year, then eleven years and one war later, they wed on Nov 7, 1947. In January, 1950, they moved from the mild climate of Missouri with trees everywhere to the bleak snowy plains of Laramie, Wyoming to help restart a burned-down printing company, Mountain States Lithographing. Though homesick, they quickly made new friends and considered themselves Wyomingites.
In 1960, they moved to Casper to start a branch of MSL. Bonnie was a homemaker until her children were raised. She then became a realtor for Luker Realty and Pettrini Realty and once was the top seller in Casper for the year. After retiring, she and Howard enjoyed traveling the whole world, but especially Mexico, where they would spend four or five months each winter in a trailer they hauled from Wyoming every year. They helped start an English speaking church in Mazatlan, Mexico for the tourists. After Howard's death in May 2002, she continued to travel to Mexico for a month each winter on her own. At 91 years of age, she saw an injustice that she couldn't keep quiet about and broke away from her longtime Arizona church and helped start a new church that is thriving and growing to this date. She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church in Casper. In June, 2011 she moved back to Casper to be near family.
Survivors include her two sons, Dr Allen Rhodes of Las Vegas and Paul Rhodes of Casper, her grandchildren Lindsay & Greg Rhodes and Sarah & Spencer Rhodes.
Funeral services will be held Friday, April 13 at 3:30 pm at First Baptist Church. She will be laid to rest beside Howard at Highland Cemetery in Casper.
To leave a memory of Bonnie or a special message of condolence to her family, please visit the guestbook below.
Bonnie was born Oct 1, 1918 to Charles and Gertrude (Pointer) Deisher in Odessa, Missouri. She grew up on a farm outside of town and attended school in Odessa until she went to William Jewell College in Liberty, MO where she first met her future husband, Howard Rhodes. Ever impetuous, they dated for a year, then eleven years and one war later, they wed on Nov 7, 1947. In January, 1950, they moved from the mild climate of Missouri with trees everywhere to the bleak snowy plains of Laramie, Wyoming to help restart a burned-down printing company, Mountain States Lithographing. Though homesick, they quickly made new friends and considered themselves Wyomingites.
In 1960, they moved to Casper to start a branch of MSL. Bonnie was a homemaker until her children were raised. She then became a realtor for Luker Realty and Pettrini Realty and once was the top seller in Casper for the year. After retiring, she and Howard enjoyed traveling the whole world, but especially Mexico, where they would spend four or five months each winter in a trailer they hauled from Wyoming every year. They helped start an English speaking church in Mazatlan, Mexico for the tourists. After Howard's death in May 2002, she continued to travel to Mexico for a month each winter on her own. At 91 years of age, she saw an injustice that she couldn't keep quiet about and broke away from her longtime Arizona church and helped start a new church that is thriving and growing to this date. She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church in Casper. In June, 2011 she moved back to Casper to be near family.
Survivors include her two sons, Dr Allen Rhodes of Las Vegas and Paul Rhodes of Casper, her grandchildren Lindsay & Greg Rhodes and Sarah & Spencer Rhodes.
Funeral services will be held Friday, April 13 at 3:30 pm at First Baptist Church. She will be laid to rest beside Howard at Highland Cemetery in Casper.
To leave a memory of Bonnie or a special message of condolence to her family, please visit the guestbook below.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Bonnell B. Rhodes, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
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Service
Friday, April 13, 2012
Starts at 3:30 pm (Mountain time)
First Baptist Church
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