Leonard Clyde Rhodes

Leonard Clyde (L.C.) Rhodes passed away August 16, 2007 at the age of 102, surrounded by his children. Born in Commerce, Georgia on January 12, 1905, Clyde was the second of four children. He spent most of his childhood in Franklin, North Carolina where he attended school in a one-room schoolhouse. As a young boy he hunted foxes, rabbits, muskrats and minks to sell their pelts. While in high school, he worked in a mica mine for a wage of 25 cents an hour. He was one of the first young men in the area to learn to drive, after being offered a position by the President of the Bank of Franklin, North Carolina to drive customers as well as tourists to and from the train station and the bank. He would later find employment as a machinist at Tempkin Bearing Company in Detroit, Michigan before attending business school. He met his wife, Ruth Talley Rhodes in Chattanooga and they moved to Cleveland in 1929 and purchased their house on Centenary Avenue in 1937. In 1942 he purchased the Harle Insurance Agency. This began a lifelong career as well as friendship. He owned and operated Rhodes Insurance Agency for 56 years.

L. C., or Clyde as he was known to friends, was an avid outdoorsman and spent leisure time hunting, fishing, boating and enjoying one the first cabins built on Parksville Lake. His family credits his daily walks home for lunch, strolls down Centenary Avenue and frequent visits with neighbors on his front porch to his longevity. He was a 32nd degree Mason and involved with the Masons for over 50 years. He was a member of the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where he served as Elder since 1972.

The family wishes to express grateful appreciation to Dr. Obadias Marquez, nurse Becky Montgomery and the staff at Peerless Medical Associates for their care and special Centenarian birthday parties, Dale Lonas and her sons for their attention and friendship and neighbors for their ongoing watchful concern.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Talley Rhodes, son, Stephen Dewitt Rhodes and siblings Cecil Gilliland Rhodes, Francene Rhodes Hunter and Joyce Rhodes Lovell. He is survived by his children, Barbara Rhodes Blake, L.C. (Buddy) Rhodes Jr. (Adrienne), four grandchildren: Wells Blake, Joan Blake Benton, Talley Rhodes Green and Tennyson Rhodes Dickinson, great -grandchildren Heyward and Bailey Benton, Emily Blake, Taylor, Carter and Myers Dickinson.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, August 19, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. with Rev. Cliff Hudson officiating. A private interment will follow the service at Sunset Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to First Cumberland Presbyterian Church 161 Second Street NE Suite 3, Cleveland, TN 37311 or your favorite charity. The family will receive friends on Sunday, August 19, 2007, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Grissom Funeral Home, Cleveland, TN.