Obituary of Luther Henry Rhodes

Luther Rhodes, the sixth of nine children of John and Sophia "Nettie" Rhodes, was born March 28, 1917 in Mine La Motte, a small community in southeastern Missouri. His parents moved the family by train to Iowa when he was one, soon settling in Le Grand where Luther and his brothers and sisters grew up. He graduated from Le Grand High School in 1934, in the depth of the Great Depression. He worked for area farmers and at the quarry near Le Grand, then attended the American Institute of Business in Des Moines. Luther married his high-school sweetheart, Ruth Guthrie, on August 31, 1941, in West Branch, Iowa. After the War, Lute and Ruth settled in the Des Moines area where they raised their three boys: Steve, Dave, and Nelson. Luther worked for 20 years as a pressman at the Register and Tribune. Many nights he called square dances and taught square dancing with Ruth, first around the Des Moines area and later all over Iowa. Ruth died in 1969. On September 4, 1970, Luther married Jeanne Chapman Paschal in Newton. They first met at a square dance class that Luther was teaching. Jeanne brought four daughters to the new family and Luther embraced them all - Jackie, Paula, Beth, and Julie. Luther and Jeanne lived in Newton, then moved to Tucson, Arizona where they lived for 30 years. Luther continued his square-dance calling in Arizona and called dances as far away as Alaska. Luther and Jeanne travelled all across the United States, Canada, and Alaska, went on cruises in the Caribbean and visited Italy. Luther also traveled in Europe, Scandinavia and Russia with his brother-in-law Wis Guthrie. Luther and Jeanne returned to Iowa to live at Friendship Village in Pella and then at Newton Village, until Jeanne passed away on May 22, 2007. Luther moved to Park Centre in Newton, where he lived until he died in his sleep on the morning of December 4, 2010, the very same day that his stepdaughter Julie had passed away in Atlanta, seven years earlier. Luther lived an exceptional life, coming from simple beginnings to touch the lives of many people. He brought songs and dancing, stories, humor and good company to people in all parts of the country and from all walks of life. He loved life, loved his family, and loved the outdoors. He enjoyed driving in the open country, most recently in his new Prius. Luther always felt a close kinship with the natural world of the prairie and the woods, from his earliest years. Now free of the constraints of his body, he leaves wonderful memories to his children and step-children, 6 grandchildren, 7 step-grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren and 13 step-great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Friends of the Prairie, Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, PO Box 399, Prairie City IA 50228