Rhoda L. Mason

Rhoda Mason was born January 14th, 1938 to parents Oren and Nellie Thompson in Marshfield Oregon. She was the only girl and the middle child. Along with her parents, her brothers Gary and Robert provided her a unique childhood filled with precious memories. Rhoda loved fishing and being outside during the spring and summer months. She loved being by the river hearing its quiet flow and readily would disturb the peace if the fish didn't bite. Even if the big one got away, she would let you know about it! She grew up knowing that God had called her apart from the world to make a difference for His glory. Some of the sweetest times that she recalled where the moments that she shared with her church family and friends. Many meals and joyous times were spent together. Even in competition, Rhoda kept the peace, but still let you know that she was on the winning side.

Rhoda, an avid Seattle Seahawks fan, had many jokes and smiles that she shared with her Denver Bronco friends. Even though the competition would be fierce, she would give grace and not even let a sports team get in the way of true fellowship with her Lord and her church fellowship.

The only time Rhoda lost something was when she met her husband Chuck and lost her heart. Life was no longer the same. Together, their days were filled with an unending love and forgiveness that is an example to us all. Along the way, they came to realize that living for Jesus Christ was the only thing that mattered and made life taste sweet. It was through that relationship together that they found the ultimate and eternal meaning of what it meant to be on the "winning side."

Because of her found faith in Jesus, Rhoda was a model of heroic and victorious living. All the way unto the end she battled her cancer with an undaunted relentlessness and was determined to make it home. One of her last words was "I know people are praying for me so I need to try to get better." Her heroic life in Jesus caused her to forgive even when she received no forgiveness from others. All the way unto the end she longed for reconciliation with anyone that she had wronged, yearning to point him or her to the Savior. She kept inviting people to church so that they too would know the peace that she is experiencing right now.

But what truly made Rhoda victorious was that she could look at death and know that death would never rule over her. She knew that by putting her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and entirely and by fostering that relationship with Him, that she would be numbered with those that are more than conquerors.

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:36-9

Rhoda is survived by her husband Chuck Mason, her two brothers Gary and Robert Thompson and her children Keith, Jeffrey. She is also survived by Charles Guy, Marybell Mason and Elizabeth Wilson. She was preceded in death by her son Keith Thompson.

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