Obituaries

John Edward Beck

1938-2008

A funeral service is 1 p.m. Saturday at Walton's Chapel for former Bently Nevada worker John Edward Beck, 90, of Carson City.

A visitation will precede the service from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. at Walton's. A celebration of Mr. Beck's life will be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church immediately following the service.

Mr. Beck farmed with his family in the Carrizo Plains, Greenfield and Watsonville, Calif. In 1938, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, serving aboard the Navy frigate USS Ogden during World War II and on the Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Northwind in the Arctic in the years immediately following the war.

He married Louise Tyler in Berkeley, Calif., in 1947. He retired from the Coast Guard in 1958. Mr. Beck then worked for Sperry Rand Corp. in Salt Lake City for one year, before taking a position with Aerojet General Nucleonics in Idaho Falls, Idaho. In 1966 he transferred to Las Vegas where he worked two more years with Aerojet. In 1968 he married Bernice Hollis. The couple settled with their family in Carson City in 1971.

Mr. Beck worked for Bently before starting his own appliance repair business in Carson City called Beck's Service Co.

Mr. Beck enjoyed traveling and he was active in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Carson City. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

He was preceded in death by wife, Louise (deceased 1966) and wife Bernice (deceased 1998), and by sisters, Margery and Lois.

Mr. Beck is survived by sons, Jim (Becci) of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Dave (Nancy) of Vienna, Va. John Jr. of Las Vegas, Steve (Patti) of Las Vegas, stepson Ron Hollis (Leta) of Sparks and Graig Hollis of Washington; a step-daughter Gayle Bernard (Bill) of Carson City; sisters Irma, Ethel and Winnie; 16 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Mr. Beck's family thanked St. Mary's Hospice. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Carson City Senior Citizen Center's 'Meals On Wheels' program or the RSVP. Condolences may be sent to www.waltonsfuneralhomes.com

Walton's Chapel of the Valley has been entrusted with final arrangements.

Burnice D Rhodes

1918-2008

Services are pending for longtime Nevada resident Burnice D Rhodes, 90. She died March 29, 2008, in Carson City.

Born Feb. 24, 1918, in Helena, Mont., to Lee Earny and Grace Ehn Neithercutt Jones, she moved with her family to Boulder City during construction of Hoover Dam, where her father and other family members worked on the site.

She met Edwin W. "Pappy" Rhodes, who worked on the dam with her family. Her family moved north to look for work, but the couple returned to Las Vegas and were married on March 21, 1936.

They moved to Reno, where two of their daughters were born.

During World War II, the couple followed construction work until they purchased a home on Airport Road in 1945, where a son was born in 1951.

Mrs. Rhodes worked in the grammar school on Division and King streets and later at the high school in Carson City. They owned and operated several businesses, including Rhodes' Laundromat and Diaper Service, Rhodes' Cabinet Shop and Sierra Sharpening Service. They worked construction for two stints in Okinawa. Mr. Rhodes died in 1992, and Mrs. Rhodes moved to an apartment on Fifth Street in 1996.

She is survived by three children, Virginia White and husband Norman of Minden, Karen Bowman and husband Bob of Dayton, and Paul Rhodes and wife Charlene of Spanish Springs; 10 grandchildren, Sam White and wife Laura of Spanish Springs, Maurice White of Carson City, Dennis White of Sparks, Henry White and wife Paige of Georgetown, Calif., Shane Bowman and wife Linda of Dayton, Kellie Bowman of Carson City, Mark Bowman and wife Wendy of Sparks, Nancy Bowman of Carson City Antreka Gunkle and husband Cory of Pearl City, Hawaii, Clinton Rhodes and wife Natasha of Minot AFB, N.D.; 18 great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.

Her children hosted a 90th birthday party in February. A grave site service will be held later this spring. FitzHenry's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

George Edgar Steele

1931-2008

Eighteen-year Minden resident George Edgar Steele, 76, died March 18, 2008.

Mr. Steele was born April 8, 1931, in Pittsburg, Okla., to Bert and Cora Harris Steele.

A sergeant in the U.S. Army, he lived in Colorado Springs, Colo., before moving to Minden.

He married Betty Louise Steele on Dec. 31, 1977, in Carson City.

A well driller, he was a member of the Water Well Drillers Association.

His hobbies included caring for his adopted animals, studying geology and telling stories. He helped his neighbors, played the guitar and dug for gold.

Mr. Steele is preceded in death by his parents; brothers Elie, Buck, Bert and Frank; and sister Lucille.

He is survived by wife Betty Hanrahan Steele; son Vincent Lee; daughters and sons-in-law Sarda Lea and Jack E. Powelle Jr., Regina Ann and Robert W. Osborne and Cynthia Sue and Frederick Haves; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Cremation was at FitzHenry's Crematory. FitzHenry's Carson Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.