Manuel B. Rhodes, Jr. (Seymour)'s Obituary
Manuel Rhodes, Jr., husband of Sharon Rhodes, departed this earthly life on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield surrounded by loved ones. He was sixty-four years, three months and eight days young.
One of six, he was born Manuel Beaford Rhodes, Jr. on July 7, 1950, in Pasadena, California, to Manuel Beaford Sr. and Gwin Nell (Haynes) Rhodes. At the age of nine, the Rhodes family moved to California where “Junior” would spend his youth until moving to Seymour in the late 1970’s. After high school he worked at his father’s machine shop, Hi-Q Manufacturing, in Pomona, California, and continued to be a machinist by trade for many years. Junior married Sharon Ann York West on June 30, 2006, and they made their home in Seymour. He was employed with Regal Beloit in Springfield for nearly seven years. Junior was a true family man in every sense of the word and loved his children and grandchildren dearly; family was so important to him. He was a quiet, gentle man with a sharp sense of humor and a heart of gold that he shared with everyone. Manuel Rhodes, Jr., was preceded in death by his father and mother, Manuel B. Rhodes, Sr. and Gwin N. Rhodes; his brother, Johnnie Micheal Rhodes; his grandmother, Johnnie D. Snow; and nephew, Jeffrey Mark Massoni, Jr. He leaves behind his beloved wife Sharon A. Rhodes of the home; son, Troy Rhodes and wife Debbie of Springfield, Missouri; son, Travis Rhodes of Seymour; daughter, Lisa Harris and husband Dustin of Springfield, Missouri; stepdaughter, Brandy Bateman and husband Kenny of Houston, Missouri; ten grandchildren, Mark, Michael, Cherri, Devon, Tyler, Jesse, James, Ryan, Kyle and Alyssa; three great-grandchildren; sister, Joan Massoni and husband Jeff of Seymour; sister, Janice Scroeder of Marshfield, Missouri; brother, Ronald Rhodes of Seymour; and brother Danny Rhodes and wife Cindy of Highlandville, Missouri; two nephews with whom he was very close, John Massoni of Buffalo, Missouri, and Anthony Massoni of Springfield, Missouri; and many more extended family, dear friends and neighbors.
Junior, or Brent as he was also known to family, was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle. He had a huge heart that was full of kindness towards others. He had such love for family and touched all of our lives deeply. He will be sadly missed by all those who knew and loved him.
A final tribute to Junior will be a horse-drawn carriage walking procession from Holman-Howe Funeral Home to Seymour Masonic Cemetery for graveside services. The procession will depart at 12:15pm. Those unable to make the walk may drive behind the walkers or proceed to the cemetery.
What’s your fondest memory of Manuel?
What’s a lesson you learned from Manuel?
Share a story where Manuel's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Manuel you’ll never forget.
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