Rhoda King, 93, of Archbold, Ohio, passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of December 22nd.
Rhoda married her sweetheart, Kenneth, on her birthday in 1949. He preceded her in death on July 10, 1991 and now, after nearly 30 years apart, they are reunited in heavenly peace.
Rhoda was known for her infectious laugh, her fluffy sugar cookies that never fell, her precise and tiny quilting that measured 10 stitches per inch, her beautiful flowerbeds, her perfect signature that stayed true to the end, her enjoyment of table games and puzzles, her love of God and family.
She asked very little of her children and was willing to “move Christmas” or any other holiday to the date when her children could come home.
For many years, her daily work revolved around caring for her husband and children, none of whom remember her sitting down and resting very often. She kept a perfect house and always had cookies ready for guests. She painstakingly refinished every piece of woodwork in her family home when she and Kenneth moved there in 1977.
Rhoda volunteered at West Clinton Mennonite Church for “Sewing” and in the kitchen. Later in life, Rhoda worked at Das Essen Haus as the salad maker and volunteered as a quilter at Sauder Village. One of her great joys, as a result of her volunteer work, was being able to treat her grandchildren and great grandchildren to museum visits at Sauder Village.
Rhoda enjoyed traveling, especially to visit family. She and Kenneth were able to visit her sister who lived in Japan. They piled various children in the car for visits to Niagara Falls, random safaris or to see other older children near or far.
After Kenneth passed, Rhoda enjoyed annual road trips with her youngest daughter, whether to attend a grandchild’s wedding or to enjoy the fall leaves in New England, for as long as she was able.
Rhoda is survived by her sister Alice, brother-in-laws Charles (Liz) Shenk and Lester (Marge) King, seven children – Randy (Ruth) of Sturgis, MI; Greg (Ramona) of Burr Oak, MI; Pansy (Earl) Sheats of Pocomoke City, MD; Krist (Muriel) of West Unity, OH; Nick (Karlene) of Sturgis, MI; Laurie (Dan) King of Trout Run, PA; and Nellie (Sam) Zehr of Boerne, TX – and 20 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren.
Preceding her in death are her husband Kenneth; siblings Myrtie Baer, Helen Rychener, Warren Frey, Willard Frey, Lester Frey and Ruth Shenk; and grandchildren Kimberly Dawn, Jennifer Joy and Lisa Marie.
Services will be held on Tuesday, December 29, at 11 AM at West Clinton Mennonite Church with visitation from 9-11 AM Tuesday at the church. Interment will follow in the Pettisville Cemetery. Short Funeral Home in Archbold has been entrusted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, preferred memorials may be given to Mennonite Central Committee. www.ShortFuneralHome.com
1 Comment
To the family of Rhoda King, I am so sorry for your loss. I did not know Rhoda but I feel like I know her by this wonderful obituary. She must have been a special Mom, Grandmother and Sister.