Mr. Elvin Rhoden

Elvin's Journey: Elvin Rhoden was born on July 29, 1926 in Lebanon, Illinois, to the union of the late Linwood and Drefus Rhoden. At the age of seven, he and his sister, Lillian Holliday (preceded him in death), were taken to live with their grandparents in Emerson, Arkansas. He lived in Emerson until the age of 16. As a youth, Elvin was required to work in the fields from early dawn to dusk. As early as ten years old, Elvin worked various jobs to earn his way, including selling bags of pecans he had gathered from trees, doing yard work, and selling newspapers, whatever he could do to earn money. Elvin was an industrious young man. He was never without a job throughout his entire life until his retirement. Elvin received Christ at an early age. He remembered his grandmother as a praying woman. She would rise up early in the morning to pray and pray for hours before going to bed. Elvin rededicated his life to Jesus Christ in 1970. He would always require his children to go to church every Sunday. One of the things he passed along from his grandmother to his children was that they were responsible for their sins after age 11 and would not go to heaven if they were not saved. Elvin enlisted in the Army at age 18 and served two tours of duty as a supply officer. After leaving the Army, he moved to Detroit, Michigan where he met his wife Shirley, who preceded him in death in 1971. From this union, they raised six children. As an adult, Elvin was just as industrious and worked multiple jobs to support his family. He was a loving, responsible, self disciplined father and husband. His last job was with General Motors where he retired from the Cadillac division after 30 years of service. Elvin spent his retirement years enjoying life. His favorite pastimes were watching old movies, visiting family and keeping company with his longtime friend Barbara. They shared and enjoyed many good times together during the last 43 years. On Sundays, Elvin would listen to various pastors' messages on television. Elvin was a man of great knowledge and wisdom. He regretted that he never had an opportunity to go to college. But the wisdom, intuition, and common sense God had given him was far better than anything he could have learned otherwise. The early life lessons he learned as a child, the training and experiences he received in the Army, helped to make him the man he lived to be. There was also a generational blessing on his and his children’s lives. He would often say, “I know there is a God for I have always had a roof over my head, shoes on my feet and have never went hungry.” Elvin was known by his family and friends by many names. Bud, Date, Al, Pops and Grandpa were some of the names he was lovingly called and known by. He was a great listener. Family and friends would come to him, seeking advice on different matters. Because he understood hard times, he was a giver of his time and money. He would freely give a helping hand when asked or where he saw a need. He was also a good tipper. He would even tip the workers at the drive-thru window. Elvin had a great sense of humor and was a great storyteller. He would sometimes tell stories in animated ways, changing his voice to reflect the characters in his stories. He would also express his opinions using some of his familiar phrases, “Well it could had been worse, it could have been me;” or “I don’t think so;” or “Let me give you your laugh for the day.” Elvin was self-sufficient and always took care of himself. In later years, he finally gave up his home of 50 years and moved into a senior citizens apartment. He would sometimes joke about how old his neighbors were and would sometimes refer to them as the “old people.” He never did anything without planning. Elvin was never late for appointments or work. He would leave at least one hour before the appointment to ensure he arrived on time. If he was not familiar with an area, he would do a test run the day before the appointment so that he would know how to get to the location and be on time. He taught us to do the same. Elvin always dressed neatly and was very well groomed. He treated everyone with respect and always said, “Yes Sir” and “Yes Madame,” something he learned from his grandparents as a child. At age 90, Elvin’s mind was just as sharp and organized as it was as a young man. God blessed him with a great memory. He was still grocery shopping, cooking his meals, paying his bills, keeping track of routine doctors visits, and visiting his longtime friend, Barbara. Elvin was a fighter and with God, he won every battle. On August 20, 2017, he left here on his own terms, free of any sickness and pain. He said his bags were packed and he was waiting at the gates of heaven, ready to go in.

Mr. Elvin Rhoden

July 29, 1926 - August 20, 2017