Ellen J. Rhodes

Ellen Jeanette Rhodes, 89, of Coffeyville, and a former longtime resident of Edna, passed away at 6:05 a.m., Thursday, March 9, 2017 at Coffeyville Regional Medical Center.

She was born September 15, 1927 at Langdon, Kansas, to Guy and Manilla (Nevius) Elsworth. She spent her early childhood there and attended her first three years of school at Langdon. In 1936, she moved with her parents to a farm southeast of Parsons, Kansas and attended Liberty School. She then moved with her parents to a farm on the north edge of the Army Ammunition Plant east of Parsons and attended Labette County Community High School until her marriage to Joseph "Joe" Rhodes on October 7, 1944 at Labette City, Kansas. She accompanied her husband to Paso Robles, California, and later Alabama, while he was serving in the United States Army. When he was deployed overseas during WWII, Ellen returned to Kansas.  Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, they lived in Altamont, Oswego, Parsons, and Coffeyville before buying a home in Edna, Kansas in 1952. Joe preceded her in death on July 26, 2005.

Ellen worked 27 years as a bus driver for Labette County USD 506 and three years as a substitute driver. Every summer for many years Ellen and Joe drove a bus to take children to the Bible Impact Ministries (formerly Rural Bible Crusade) summer camp and worked at the camp for the week. She was an accomplished seamstress, an excellent cook, and spent many hours crocheting afghans for her children and grandchildren which they still enjoy today. Ellen was a member of the First Baptist Church of Edna, KS.

She is survived by six of her seven children, Sue Sovereign and her husband, David, of Altadena, CA, Sandra Nash and her husband, Arthur, of Altamont, KS, John Rhodes of Tulsa, OK, Mark Rhodes and his wife, Amy, of Buffalo, KS, Naomi Smith and her husband, Oral, of Edna, KS, Philip Rhodes and his wife, Jeni, of LaVeta, CO; 22 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren (with another on the way) and one great-great grandchild.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Vernon, Virgil, and Norman Elsworth; daughter, Nancy Patton; granddaughter, Lisa Nash Zook; grandson, Randy Nash; and great-grandson, Nathan Hunt.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at the First Baptist Church in Edna. Burial will be at the Edna Elm Grove Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 p.m., on Tuesday, at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Altamont.

Memorial remembrances may be made to Bible Impact Ministries for her grandson Adam Rhodes' ministry at Whispering Winds Bible Camp. These may be left at or mailed to Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 325, Altamont, KS 67330.

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.