Donal H. “Don” Rhoad

Birth

26 Nov 1927

McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska, USA

Death

29 Dec 2009 (aged 82)

Sargent, Custer County, Nebraska, USA

Burial

Mount Hope Cemetery

Sargent, Custer County, Nebraska, USA

 

SARGENT - Donal H. Rhoad, 82, of Sargent died Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009, at his home.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Church of Christ in Sargent with the Rev. Marty Robbins officiating. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Sargent.

Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Monday at Rhoad Funeral Home in Sargent.

He was born Nov. 26, 1927, in McCook to Lloyd and Flora "Dollie" (Relph) Rhoad.

On Sept. 25, 1949, he married Dorothy Fekkers in Wauneta. She died July 30, 1999.

On June 15, 2001, he married Marlys (Moody) Wrasse.

Survivors include his wife; sons, Randy and his wife, Lori, of Sargent, David and his wife, Debbi, of Cheyenne, Wyo., and Darwin of Kearney; daughters, Rhonda Smith and her husband, Jerry, and Darla Haubold and her husband, John, all of Kearney; grandchildren, Travis Rhoad of Honesdale, Pa., Shane Smith and his wife, Kari, of Sheldon, Iowa, Ryan Smith and his fiancée, Anita Griffin, Leslie Smith and Eryn Haubold, all of Kearney, Abbey Sherril and her husband, Adam, and Amber Bidd and her husband, Austen, and Ashley Rhoad, all of Hayden, Ala., and Austin Haubold of Fort Sill, Okla.; stepgrandchildren, Michael Slagle of Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Stephanie Klein and her husband, Jake, of Sargent and Daniel Lamb of Phoenix; great-grandchildren, Chrystal, Jessica, Autumn and Cope Smith, McKaden and Kyenna Smith, Perrey Slagle, Jesse, Brooke and Levi Sherrill, and Lexi and Lilyana Bidd; sister-in-law, Barbara Blickenstaff of Arapahoe; and Marlys' children, Tami Thompson, her husband and their children, Sharla Clark, her husband and their children, Sandy Winchester and children and David, his wife and their children.

He was educated in grade school in the West Parcel two blocks from his home in McCook. He attended junior high school three blocks from his home. He went to McCook Senior High School and graduated at midterm, and then he went right into McCook Junior College until September 1946.

Don had a beautiful singing voice and while in high school, he sang at church and at many funerals, which lead him to his career path. He continued to sing in quartets over many years.

He went into the Army for 1½ years as a clerk-typist and was stationed in Korea until March 1948, when he was honorably discharged. He was in the National Guard for 10 years after being discharged from the Army.

He returned to McCook Junior College for his second semester and then attended one more year of premed courses. He went to Cincinnati Mortuary College in March 1949. He did his apprenticeship in Kansas in 1951. He bought a funeral home in Norton, Kan., in 1952 and worked under the previous owner, Vern Somers.

In 1958, Don and Dorothy bought the Spooner Funeral Home and furniture store in Sargent. He operated the ambulance service in Sargent for eight years until the fire department took it over. He was a fireman for 32 years and served as chief until 1965.

He and Dorothy would have celebrated 50 years of marriage in September 1999. He was a loving, supportive, wonderful father.

He was on the school board for one to two terms, chairman of the construction of Key Villa housing complex, the hospital board and the Mount Hope Cemetery board. He was involved with the Chamber of Commerce, Elks, Lions Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Masonics.

Don did crop dusting for six years and never lost his love of flying. He was a rural mail carrier for many years.

Don cherished the times with his family, the families of his churches, the community, and the friends and families of the people whom he served. Don especially enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. He loved the outdoors, gardening, feeding the birds, bowling, being creative with stained glass, enjoying family reunions and coffee with his friends. After Don got sick, he made many beautiful walking sticks to keep busy.

In addition to his wife Dorothy, he was preceded in death by his parents; infant sister; granddaughter, Sandra Rhoad; and brothers-in-law, Francis and Jim Fekkers and Duane Blickenstaff.

Published in the Kearney Hub from 1/2/2010 - 1/4/2010