Emerson Mann Rhoads

Emerson Mann Rhoads of Belle died Friday morning in the Missouri Veteran's Home in St. James. He was 86. Mann was born on December 4, 1923, near Linn. He is the son of the late Ambrose Joseph Rhoads and Hulda Pearl Helmig Rhoads. On April 20, 1946, Mann was married to Lillie Belle Robertson and to this union five children were born.
Surviving Mann are four sons Larry with his wife Sharlene of Raymore, Patrick with his wife Oleta of Belle, Ricky with his wife Jaimole of Tulsa, OK, and Randy with his wife Theresa of Belle, and one daughter LaRayna with her husband Patrick Pirrie of Cuba. There are 14 grand children Brett Rhoads with his wife Leah , Kevin Rhoads with his wife Dee Dee of Raymore, Amanda with her husband Vernon Williams of St. Louis, Sarah with her husband Darrel Sharpe of Garland, TX, Eliza with her husband Tito Pope of Wildwood, Amos Rhoads of Belle, Gabriel Rhoads with his wife Erin of Springfield, Jenna with her husband Tony Leasck of Sullivan, Jessi Gehlert of Sullivan, Caleb, Kyla, and Daniel Rhoads of Tulsa, OK, Joshua and Amie Rhoads of Jefferson City, and Lilly Vowels of Belle, and 16 great grand children Matthew and Paige Rhoads, Jazmen, V.J., and Elizabeth Williams, Christian, Logan, and Katie Sharpe, Azariah Pope, Blake, Clara, and Marissa Leasck, Leah Ybarra, Emily Gehlert, Ebonie Asamoah-Boadu, and Madelynn Rhoads. Also surviving is one brother Carl Rhoads of Linn.
Mann is preceded in death by his wife Lillie, three brothers Arthur, Burl, and Don Rhoads, and four sisters Verna Schaeperklaus, Clara Rhoads, Emma Rhoads, and Velda Steffens.
Mann served in the U.S. Navy. He married soon after returning from the war. He was a lifetime farmer and a union laborer for many local construction projects. Mann and Lillie attended the Vichy Church of God.