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Rhodes family gathers at old homeplace for annual fly-in and reunion on September 9
Framed in the old farmhouse is a Promissory Note (Bank of Tignall) for $200.00 and a deed dated 1936, wherein 75 acres were purchased by John Wright Rhodes. Collateral consisted of the following: one black mare, one red mare, five red milk cows, one white milk cow, and fiveblack milk cows. The fly-in and barbecue were held on some of this original 75 acres. The oldest members present were Jack Rhodes (son of Sam and Annie Ruth) and Cecil Rhodes (son of John Wright and Eula Lee.) Following is a quick little genealogy of the descendants of John and Lois Rhodes: Son John Wright and Eula Lee (Walker) Rhodes had the following children: Ellender, Cecil, J.D., Bob, Claude, and Presley. Son Sam and Annie Ruth (Dyer) Rhodes had the following children: Nita, Jack, Sam Jr., Jennie Ruth, Bubba, Peggy, Freddie, Charles, Olivia, Glenn, and Phyllis. Son William and Rosalyn (Wheatley) Rhodes had the following child: Billy. Son Albert and Lou Nell (Beard) Rhodes had the following children: John Thomas, Sarah Frances, Betty, Barbara, Sanders, Albert J., Ed William, and Pat. Daughter Louise (Rhodes) and Paul Harper had the following children: Lois, Paul Jr., and Polly. Daughter Clara (Rhodes and Lannie Blackmon had the following children: Mildred and Carroll. Daughter Sarah (Rhodes) and John will Harper had the following children: Edna, Clarence and James. About 450 descendants and guests attended. Now, about that fly-in part of the reunion. This is a plane-loving family. There were single-engine planes and ultra lights. When they all taxied down the runway -- a 3000 ft. grass runway -- and flewout one after the other for the air show, it was a sight to behold. The many children there were entertained as well with a moon walk, slide and maze, that was brought in for the day. Not only are these Rhodeses a plane-loving family, they do like to "put on a spread." When the big farm bell sounded, people lined up as Doug Rhodes (son of Presley) welcomed the group and Jimmy Harper (grandson of Sarah Rhodes Harper) said the blessing. You have never seen so much good food: pork barbecue, barbecued chicken and stew (prepared by the Rhodes family on the premises), covered dishes of vegetables, salads, and desserts were brought by family and guests, and, of course, good ole Georgia nectar (sweet iced tea.) Now it seems that this function really got started as a celebration of Eula Lee Walker Rhodes' birthday. The second Sunday in September became an annual event for this barbecue and fly-in and Miss Eula expressed her desire to continue this event after she was gone or as she put it, "There will be a lot of disappointed people." Miss Eula passed on in 1999, and her sons, Cecil and Bob, and grandson Doug decided to continue the tradition and started the event again in 2001. Since this event is held at the old farmhouse where John Wright and Eula Lee Rhodes lived, it is very fitting that we share stories submitted by Bob and Cecil. Miss Eula was born September 24, 1899, in Hart County, Georgia, and moved to Lincoln County in 1905. Being the oldest child of Bid and Emma Walker, she learned to cook at an early age. In 1915, while visiting her Uncle Johnny Morrison in Roanoke, Virginia, she took her very first plane ride. She was educated in a one-room school on Courthouse Hill in the community of Chennault, and later at Brewton-Parker College in Macon, Ga., where she obtained a teaching degree. Miss Eula met John Wright Rhodes (1892-1958) and they were married in 1924. Together they farmed with mules and did sharecropping until they saved enough money to buy the farm on Pistol Creek -- the site on which the fly-in is held each year and affectionately referred to as the "homeplace." After purchasing this property, they grew cotton, corn, peas, and can for syrup. They had chickens, hogs, cows, and to help with the farm income, Miss Eula raised range-fed turkeys. She had a route and delivered live turkeys every Thanksgiving and Christmas in Washington, Thomson, and Augusta. During World War II, John Wright helped build Fort Gordon; and after the war, he worked at the VA Hospital in Augusta. Miss Eula taught Sunday School and John Wright was a deacon at Beulah Baptist Church and the family went to church every Sunday. Miss Eula was a great cook, according to Cecil and Bob. They said she could cook anything -- wild game (rabbit, quail, dove, duck, goose, and squirrel) -- and some of the best turtle stew you ever tasted. She made hominy out of corn as well as homemade cheese. She canned everything. She would put up field peas and butterbeans for winter and when the weather got cold, after the hogs were killed, she would make sausage, saltcured ham shoulders, fatback, lard and cracklins. She also raised honeybees and sold and gave away honey every year. She also made blackberry wine and took it for the communion service at Beulah -- everyone drinking from one large goblet. It seems that a group of men from the church -- knowing full well there was wine left -- would come around on Sunday afternoon to "polish off" the bottle. Both Cecil and Bob spoke so affectionately of their parents and were amazed that they raised and fed six children on a farm without modern conveniences and saved enough to buy property. They both agreed they were blessed to have strong-willed, hard-working parents to show them what can be done if you live the example they were shown. Their mother was strict, demanded and got respect. She wanted you to be truthful, honest, and respectful to everyone. No vile language. One of her mottos was, "Don't bring disgrace or shame on the family name." Also, since Miss Eula wanted this celebration to continue on the second Sunday in September each year, Cecil and Bob wanted -- once again -- to have this fly-in and barbecue "in her memory" and both reiterated, "May her memory live on for many years to come."
What a beautiful day and what a great tribute to their mother.
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