The Lindbergh School District suffered a great loss this summer when second-grade teacher Ellen Rhodes died July 14.
Mrs. Rhodes, a resident of Arnold, was involved in a car accident while traveling in Wyoming on vacation and died while hospitalized in Casper, Wyo.
Mrs. Rhodes had been a teacher at Long Elementary School since 1975. Her association with Lindbergh began long before her career as a teacher as she grew up and was educated in the Lindbergh community.
She was a member of the Lindbergh High School Class of 1971. During high school Mrs. Rhodes was a member of the National Honor Society and a National Merit Commended student.
She attended Ripon College in Ripon, Wis., on a four-year scholarship, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in English and elementary education. Mrs. Rhodes was a Phi Beta Kappa member.
She received a master’s degree in education from the University of MissouriSt. Louis in 1989.
For the past 30 years Mrs. Rhodes devoted her life to teaching first- and second- graders at Long Elementary. She lovingly nurtured the growth and development of generations of first- and second-graders at Long Elementary and was a master second-grade teacher and mentor. She served on many committees at Lindbergh, including professional development, balanced literacy and curriculum adoption.
Mrs. Rhodes was active in the Interna-tional Reading Association and was a presenter at several IRA state conventions.
At her church, Southminster Presbyter-ian, Mrs. Rhodes was active as a Stephen Minister, which is a counseling, caregiving program.
She also was honored as a Lindbergh Leader in 1997, an award that recognized her service in going above and beyond for the Lindbergh School District and the surrounding community.
In a news release, Lindbergh Superinten-dent Jim Sandfort stated, “Ellen Rhodes was not only a great teacher who touched the lives of so many children in such marvelous ways during the past 30 years, but she was just a very good person who al-ways thought of others. Ellen was one of those who contributed to that sense of family which characterizes Long Elemen-tary School. Every child was important to Ellen. She reached out in so many special ways to her children and their families. We will miss her greatly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ellen’s family.”
Among the survivors are her husband, Gene Rhodes; her father, Ed Rohde of St. Louis; and her brother Ed Rohde of Mt. Vernon, Ill. Visitation and memorial services for Mrs. Rhodes were conducted this week at Southminster Presbyterian Church.