Bonita Jean Rhodes

Bonita Jean Rhodes of Moore, Oklahoma passed away from this life to spend eternity in Heaven on September 2, 2021. She was born in Carnegie, Oklahoma to Lena Fay Smith Ferguson on January 26, 1948. Bonita grew up in Carnegie, and attended Carnegie public schools, graduating with the class of ’66. One year later, Bonita married the love of her life, Philip C. Rhodes of Cowden, OK, at a ceremony in Verden, Oklahoma on January 24, 1967. In 1971, they moved to Moore to raise their family. Until her retirement, she worked in the school cafeteria and athletics concessions for Moore Public Schools. Mrs. Rhodes also ran an in-home day care, caring for the children of her friends and neighbors. Bonita attended First Baptist Church of Moore, where she also worked in the nursery and watched the children on Monday and Wednesday nights during the Celebrate Recovery classes.

Bonita Rhodes knew exactly who she was and what she wanted in life, never being the kind of lady who was afraid to speak her mind. She was a hardworking woman who never met a stranger. She was loved by all, and was a second mom, grandma, or aunt to everyone she knew.   She loved going shopping, tending to her vegetable gardens, and she enjoyed going to the lake - even though she was scared of the water and stayed in the camper pretty much the entire time. She loved listening to music from the 50s. Her favorite radio station was Hank FM, and if anyone dared change the station, she would immediately say, “That is not my station.” She loved watching her favorite soap, Days of Our Lives, and her Wednesday nights were filled with Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago Medical, CSI, S.W.A.T., and Blue Bloods. She loved any movie starring Elvis Presley, and was a huge fan of The Fast and the Furious series. After church on Sundays, she liked to relax and watch Frankie and Johnny.

Bonita was a spitfire, her family’s defender to the end. From the time she was old enough to work until the very end, she was a wonderful provider for them. She lived for her family, and they were always who made her happiest. She never missed a ballgame that any of her kids played in. Andrea and Vanessa played softball, Russel and Ricky played football, baseball, basketball, and wrestled, and Railena played softball. She was their biggest fan. Bonita was constantly shopping, and overbuying gifts for her grandkids. When her great-grandson was born, they never had to do without. She was a terrific chef, always cooking as if she were feeding the entire block or the military.

She was preceded in death by her cherished husband, Philip C. Rhodes, her mother, Lena Faye Ferguson, a son-in-law, Tony Martinsen, a granddaughter, Railena Amadeline Dawn Rhodes, in-laws Glenn and Jaime Rhodes, and many other extended family members.

Bonita is survived by her two daughters, Vanessa Martinsen and Andrea Rhodes, both of Moore, Oklahoma; grandchildren Russel Rhodes of Moore, Ricky Rhodes and Caroline Cooley of Enid, Oklahoma, and Kimberly Martinsen of Norman, Oklahoma; one great-grandson, Gabriel Clyde Rhodes and his mother Desiree Woodruff of Moore; one sister, Nora Harris of Harrah, Oklahoma; 3 sisters-in-law, Glenda Sue Waugh and Doris Penton, both of Moore, and Maxine Parker of Amarillo, Texas; as well as a host of nephews, nieces and cousins.

Visitation for Bonita will begin at 6:30 PM on Friday, September 10, 2021 at the John M. Ireland & Son Funeral Home & Chapel, located at 120 South Broadway Avenue in Moore, Oklahoma.

Funeral services will be held the following day, September 11, 2021 at 10:00 AM at the John M. Ireland & Son Funeral Home & Chapel. Interment will follow the service at 2:00 PM at the Sappington Chapel Cemetery in Cowden, Oklahoma.

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