West Virginia Pioneers
Goldie Eulala Parsons
1921 - 2018 (97 years)-
Name Goldie Eulala Parsons Born 17 Jul 1921 Roane County, West Virginia, USA 
[1] Gender Female Died 5 Dec 2018 Ripley, Jackson, West Virginia, USA [2] Buried Jackson County, West Virginia, USA Notes - Goldie E. Rhodes
July 17, 1921 - December 5, 2018
Obituary for Goldie E. Rhodes
Goldie Eulala Parsons Rhodes, 97, of Ripley, WV, formerly of Gay, passed into the arms of her loving Lord on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, at Eldercare in Ripley, after a brief illness.
Born on July 17, 1921, she was a daughter of the late Ernie and Etta Mae (Allen) Parsons. She was one of 11 children. Goldie lived most of her life in Allentown and Gay, before moving to Ripley with her husband, Ores, in 1999.
In addition to her late husband Ores A. Rhodes, she is preceded in death by her parents, nine siblings, grandsons Anthony Rhodes, Michael Rhodes, and Dominic Tarantini, sons-in-law Carroll Lee Southall, Michael J.C. Tarantini, Dwight Knopp, and daughter-in-law Darlene Rhodes.
Goldie was a faithful member of the Ripley Tabernacle Church until her health prevented her from attending regularly. She enjoyed making special seasonal mementos for the young Sunday school class.
After raising 12 children on her and Ores’ 200-acre farm in Gay, she worked for Rural Arts & Crafts, as a seamstress at the sewing factory, and as a much-appreciated baker for McCoy’s Best Western in Ripley where she was well-known for her baked goods, especially pies and hot rolls. She met many travelers during her years there, some of whom she maintained contact with throughout her life.
Goldie loved to cook for her children and other relatives and friends, and enjoyed large Sunday dinners on the farm and then in Ripley. In earlier years, she worked tirelessly not only with raising her children and babysitting some of the grandchildren, but with raising huge gardens, canning all sorts of homegrown vegetables and fruits, and tending to the cows and other farm animals. In her “spare time” and in later years, you could find her making beautiful hand-pieced quilts and crocheting afghans and intricate doilies and other pieces, mostly for gifts or for raffle to raise money for worthy causes. In addition to her quilts and applesauce stack cakes, she was best known for being the family’s historian, able to recollect details of her life’s activities and events, keeping everyone reminded of the importance of their ancestors’ lives. She had quick wit and often left her family and friends laughing as they enjoyed endless stories and anecdotes of the past. When you needed her help, she was always there for her family and others who knew her, sometimes sending quilts to missionaries for others in need.
In addition to her sister Stella (Parsons) Leach of Marietta, Ohio, Goldie is survived by seven sons, Elmer Rhodes (Margaret), Delmer Rhodes, and Jesse Rhodes (Mary) of Gay; Darrell Rhodes (Janice) of Leroy; Bernard Rhodes of Leon; Russell Rhodes (Eva) of Ripley, and Joseph Rhodes (Debbie) of Evans, and five daughters, Gladys Rhodes Knopp and Carolyn Rhodes Johnson of Ripley; Macel Rhodes of Morgantown; Kathleen Rhodes Herdman (Mark) of Leon, and Regenia Rhodes-Rawson (Randy) of Medina. She is also survived by 23 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, 3 step great-grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren, 4 step great-great grandchildren, as well as a number of loving nieces and nephews.
Friends may call at Waybright Funeral Home in Ripley, from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2018 and 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, with funeral services at 1:00 p.m. at Waybright Funeral Home with Reverends Jeff Keffer and Mike Elder officiating. Interment will follow at Evans Cemetery in Gay, WV.
In lieu of flower, contributions in Goldie’s memory may be made to either Evans Cemetery or Napier Cemetery, c/o Waybright Funeral Home, 511 South Church Street, Ripley, WV 25271.
Person ID I41214 WVPioneers Last Modified 7 Dec 2018
Father Ernie William Parsons, b. 14 Apr 1893, Roane County, West Virginia, USA , d. 29 Jun 1973 (Age 80 years) Mother Etta May Allen, b. 20 Apr 1892, Roane County, West Virginia, USA , d. 1973 (Age 80 years) Married 12 Aug 1917 Roane County, West Virginia, USA [3] Notes
Marriage Record
Date: 8/12/1917 at res of Thomas allen
Place: Roane, West Virginia
Earnie W Parsons, 24, Jackson, Gay Roane
Etta May Allen, 24, Roane, Gay Roane
1920 Curtis, Roane, WV # 214-232
Allen, Thomas 74 wd
Parsons, Earny W sil 26 m
Ettie M da 27 m
Cyrus E son 1 3/12
Allen, Howard gs 18
McCrady, Lottie M gd 12
1930 Curtis, Roane, WV # 61 all WVWVWV
Parsons, Ernest 37 md age 24
Ettie 37 md age 24
Goldie da 8
Grace da 6
Elva da 5 3/12
Audra son 3 9/12
Floyd son 1 6/12
Wilbert son 1
Family ID F21313 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Ores Albert Rhodes, b. 22 Mar 1915, Gay, Jackson, West Virginia, USA , d. 6 Aug 2000, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA (Age 85 years) Married 24 Apr 1939 Roane County, West Virginia, USA [1] Notes
Marriage Record
Date: 4/24/1939
Place: Roane, West Virginia, United States
Oris Albert Rhodes, 24, 3/22/1915, Gay Roane Co, Gay Roane Co, Pheobe Rhodes (father dec'd)
Golda Eulala Parsons, 17, 7/17/1921, Gay Roane Co, Gay Roane Co, EW & Etta Parsons
1940 Curtis, Roane, WV
Rhodes, Phoebe 60 wd WV 1935: Same house
Oris son 23 m WV 1935: Same house
Goldie dil 18 m WV 1935: Rural Roane WV
Jackson County, WV, Past and Present 1990:
The children of Ores Albert b 1915 and Goldie Eulala Parsons Rhods b 1921 are:
Elmer Dorse b 1940
Gladys Karen b.1941
Delmer Gordon b. 1944
Darrell Ernest b. 1945
Bernard Weldon b. 1949
Albert Russell b. 1951
Macel Emeline b. 1953
Carolyn May b. 1955
Jesse Wayne b. 1956
Kathleen Kay b. 1958
Regenia Eulala b. 1961
Joseph Michael b. 1964
Making Molasses is a tradition carried out by my family every fall. This tradition started many years before I was born. My great grandma, Goldie Eulalah Parsons Rhodes daughter of Ernie William Parsons and Etta Mae Allen Parsons, brought the tradition to Jackson County when she married Ores Albert Rhodes, son of Gordon Mead Rhodes and Phoebe Emeline Tuttle Rhodes. Ores and Goldie had 12 children, Elmer Doris, Gladys Karen, Delmar Gordon, Darrel Ernest, Bernard Weldon, Albert Russell, Macel Emeline, Carolyn Mae, Jesse Wayne, Kathleen Kay, Regina Eulalah and Joseph Michael.
The tradition started at the Rhodes home place on Gay Road. Molasses comes from the raw mater of sugar cane which was grown on the farm. The first step to making molasses is planting and harvesting the cane. After the cane is harvested, it is processed by squeezing the juice out with burrs. A fire is built under a coy-lined metal plan. The sugar cane juice is then put into the pan and boiled until it thickens into sorghum molasses. It takes thirty gallons of juice to produce one gallon of molasses. The molasses is then put into jars and with used, sold, or bartered with to help support the family.
My grandpa, Darrell Rhodes, married Janice Sue Golden and they had three children, Ten Marie married to Dana Orin Casto with daughter Tonya Marie; Anthony Less (deceased and Lora Denise married to Mark Edward Parsons with daughter Nicole Dare Blankenship. After acquiring their farm on Route 33, they continued making molasses for several years.
Now, we make molasses on the original site that is currently owned by Albert Russell Rhodes. Our large and extended family gathers to socialize and make more memories while making molasses. Hopefully this long lasting tradition continues to be a part of our family for generations to come.
Nicole Blankenship, Leroy, WV
Children 1. Elmer Dorse Rhodes, b. 20 Apr 1940, Gay, Jackson, West Virginia, USA , d. 31 Mar 2020, Jackson County, West Virginia, USA (Age 79 years)2. Gladys Karen Rhodes 3. Delmer Gordon Rhodes 4. Darrell Ernest Rhodes 5. Bernard Weldon Rhodes 6. Albert Russell Rhodes 7. Macel Emeline Rhodes 8. Carolyn Mae Rhodes 9. Jesse Wayne Rhodes 10. Kathleen Kay Rhodes 11. Regenia Eulala Rhodes 12. Joseph Michael Rhodes Family ID F11754 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- Goldie E. Rhodes
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Event Map 
Died - 5 Dec 2018 - Ripley, Jackson, West Virginia, USA 
= Link to Google Earth
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Sources