Leonard Hershal Rhodes Obituary
Leonard Hershal Rhodes, 98, of San Angelo, TX formerly of Cisco passed away June 24, 2015 at Meadow Creek Nursing Center in San Angelo.
Funeral Service was held 11:00 A.M. Monday, June 29, 2015 at the Kimbrough Funeral Home Chapel officiated by Larry Fitzgerald. Interment followed at Oakwood Cemetery under the direction of Kimbrough Funeral Home of Cisco.
Leonard was born November 10, 1916, in Gorman Texas to John Wesley Rhodes and Mary Sophia (Turner) Rhodes. He was a Veteran of WWII, serving in the U.S. Army, as a Technical Sergeant with 1359th Military Police. He served in Normandy, Northern France, and Central Europe. Leonard received several decorations to include: American Theater Campaign Medal, EAME Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, Good Conduct Medal and World War II Victory Medal. He was also awarded a Marksman-Rifle badge. Leonard married Cora Elizabeth Watkins on October 3, 1946, in Coleman County. She preceded him in death on October 3, 2006.
Leonard sold alfalfa hay and cedar post to farmers and ranchers in the Cisco area for many years. He retired from trucking at the age of 67. He then went back to beekeeping which was the love of his life. Leonard caught his first swarm when he was 15 years old. After WWII he came back to Miles, TX and purchased a truck and became a migrating beekeeper. In early spring he would take 500 hives to South Texas and pollinate the fruit crops. He later moved the bees into the San Angelo and Coleman areas to pollinate more crops.
He is survived by his daughter Lynda Beebe (Rhodes), his granddaughter Marcey Quast (Beebe) and Marcey’s husband John Quast all of which are from San Angelo, TX.