Kenneth J. Rhoads, 77, of Grundy Center, Iowa, died from natural causes on Friday, December 07, 2007 at the Grundy County Memorial Hospital in Grundy Center. Funeral services will be at 1:30 pm on Monday, December 10, 2007 at the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Grundy Center with Pastor Jean Bower officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery in Grundy Center. Visitation is from 5 pm to 8 pm on Sunday at Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home in Grundy Center. A memorial fund has been established in his name.
Kenneth was born November 23, 1930, in Grundy Center, son of Charles Rhoads Sr. and Jennie Looff Rhoads. He was educated in Grundy Center and served his country with the U.S. Navy for four years during the Korean Conflict. On March 12, 1954 Kenneth was united in marriage to Marie Schafer at Bethany Presbyterian in Grundy Center. He worked for the Grundy Center City Street Dept., Viking Pump of Cedar Falls, and the Grundy County Secondary Road Dept. before taking employment with the Iowa Dept. of Transportation working as a maintainer operator and truck driver. He was with the Iowa D.O.T. for 34 years retiring in 1990. Kenneth loved mowing and blowing snow with his John Deere garden tractor and also enjoyed his coffee groups at Kum and Go and Manly Drug.
He is survived by his wife, Marie; daughter, Donna Rhoads of Grundy Center; son, Lee Rhoads and his wife, Deb also of Grundy Center; sister, Carrie Mackie of Marshalltown; brothers, Henry "Dusty" Rhoads of Kansas City, Missouri, Carl (Gladys) Rhoads of Grundy Center, and Richard (Belva) Rhoads of Cedar Falls; and sisters-in-law, Leona Rhoads of Holland, Iowa and Ethel Rhoads of Grundy Center. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, John, Charles Jr., William, and Donald.