Obituary: Rhoads, Hiram Gordon

RHOADS,
Hiram Gordon

Hi passed peacefully on October 31, 20012 while being surrounded with several family members.

He was born May 17, 1913 in Indian Prairie, WA.

He was one of eleven children born to Miles and Ella (Needham) Rhoads.

Hi lived a long and blessed life outliving three wives; Leola G. Rogers, Frances Forester, and Verla (Maxine) Hicks.

He and Leola had 10 children.

He was preceded in death by two of his daughters; Janet Arlene Rhoads (a child) and Claudine (Rhoads) Bruihl.

He is survived by his eight remaining children; Geraldine (Rhoads) Stutheit, Kenneth Rhoads, Mildred (Rhoads) Napier, Raymond Rhoads, Gary Rhoads, Linda (Rhoads) Palanuik, Michael Rhoads, and Mindy (Rhoads) Henifin.

In addition, he had several step-children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great- grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Hi worked as a dairyman, a woodsman, a laborer on the Grand Coulee Dam, and finally retired as Kaiser Aluminum worker where he drove a fork lift at the Kaiser Mead facility.

After retiring, he spent some of his time recycling metals and other materials to make extra spending money.

Hi enjoyed all kinds of outdoor activities; hunting, horse packing, fishing, logging, gardening, and taking long drives on questionable roads in the hills.

As an avid hunter, he was very successful at keeping wild game in his freezer and you would never know what you might be eating when you joined him for a meal.

He also was an accomplished maker of afghans; selling and giving them away as gifts to family and friends.

As a Christian, Hi loved his Savior Jesus Christ, and enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

He loved telling special stories to the children such as “Have You Ever Heard The Wind” and would keep the children spellbound by the realistic sounds and his twinkling eyes.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 17, 2012, at 11 a.m. at Hazen & Jaeger Valley Funeral Home, 1306 North Pines Road, Spokane, WA 99206.

A pot luck reception will follow in Post Falls, ID.

Directions to the reception will be made available upon request.