History Buffs

[hhjacobs]

  Does anybody out there remember when Fred & Babe Rhodes started running the picture show? When did Babe pass away? When did Fred pass away? When did they stop operating the  picture show and grill?

[frawin]

Byron and BabeMorris started running the Theater in the mid 1940s, I would guess that Byron died in 1952 to 1954, I remember that Babe bought Freddie Joe a new Yellow Buick, Convertible and I think it was a 1954 model, Freddie totalled the first one and I seem to remember she got him another one just like it and he totalled that one and she got him a new Pontiac, in 1955 or 1956. Thelma 'Babe" Rhoades died September 1981 and Freddie Joe passed away October 1988. Babe was born April 7, 1903 and Freddie Joe was born September 25, 1923.
Frank Winn

[Jo McDonald]

Thank you, Frank for telling about the dates of Byron-Babe and Freddie Joe.  I hope I can tell this story, so you can all visualize it. 
Freddie Joe was an only child of Fred and Mae Rhodes.  Good lookin' as all get out.  When he came home from the service, I can honestly tell you -- he was Drop Dead Handsome !!  Looked like Charles Atlas (now I am dating myself  lol ) anyway - Byron had passed away -- Babe had lots of money - Freddie never ever REALLY like to work -- soooooooooooo  the attraction was there, and it took hold.  She had herself " A Hunk"  that the young ones WERE NOT going to get, and he had himself a Sugar Mama.  So began the story....
  Any way in 1954 we moved from Howard, and returned in 1963.  Babe and Freddie were the owners and operators of the Grill and the theater.  They liked their "drinks"  -- My Fred liked home brew and made some really good stuff.  One Sunday night about 11:30 a car drove in the drive way, and it was Freddie Joe and Babe.  My Fred was asleep on the sofa that we had in the sun room on the west side of the house, and the girls were in bed and I was sewing....Freddie Joe knocked on the door, asking if my Fred had any home brew..he and Babe didn't have any thing to drink and he would like to have some.  He had on his white shirt jacket, that he wore when he cooked at the grill.  I asked him to come in and he was standing at the side of the sofa, where Fred was asleep --- I woke Fred up and as he opened his eyes, he was looking up --over Freddie Joe's BIG belly, all dressed in white and he just shuddered - his eyes were WIDE OPEN and all he could say was, "Ohhhh Myyyyyyy Goddddddddd"  Scared the livin' Bejesus out of him.... I thought I would croak from not laughing.  I told my Fred who it was .. he slowly sat up and Freddie Joe told him what he wanted.  Fred was so thankful it was a live body --- got up and went out to the garage and GAVE  him some home brew.  They went away happy and Fred was thankful that he had not met someone from  ~~~ where ever the large white cloaked people come from.  Honestly-- it was the funniest thing and we still laugh about it. 

[frawin]

Jo, the more I think about it seems to me that Babe was 49 and Freddie was 29 when they got married, if that is the case then they got married in 1952. Freddie and Babe did live life to the fullest.
Frank

[frawin]

Jo, when Freddie came home from the service, he, my brother Dwight and Bus Fear trimmed trees around Howard and all 3 of them worked together at the rock quarry at Moline.
Frank

[Janet Harrington]

Oh My Gosh, I just laughed and laughed at that story about Fred Rhoades, Jodi.  I loved it.