Elizabeth Ingels Rhodes of Alpine, died on October 13, 2018 at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas. A memorial service will be held at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Alpine, Texas, on October 17 at 2:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Eagle Pass, Texas, on November 10 at 9:00 a.m., and burial at the Maverick County Cemetery, in the family plot at 11:00 a.m..

Ms. Rhodes was born on August 15, 1939 in San Antonio, Texas, to Jeremiah Ingels Rhodes and Susie Gates Rhodes of Eagle Pass, Texas and granddaughter of Dr. Ellis F. Gates and Frances Adams Gates of Eagle Pass, Texas and Dr. Jeremiah M. Rhodes and Cora Ingels Rhodes of San Antonio. She is survived by her sons Michael Gates Brown, of Roswell, Georgia and Matthew McFarland Brown and wife, Cathy, of San Antonio, Texas and daughter, Elizabeth Rhodes Brown and her husband Bob Davidson, of Alpine; granddaughters Alexandria Townsend Brown, Madeline Ingels Brown, and Victoria Gates Brown; brother, Jeremiah Gates Rhodes and wife, Martha N., of Eagle Pass, Texas, sisters Dr. Frances Gates Rhodes of Laredo, Texas and Susie Rhodes Truxillo and husband, Dr. Stanton G., of Austin, Texas; nieces and nephews, Jeremiah Newcomer Rhodes and wife, Rhonda M.; .W. B. Rhodes and wife, Lisa B., Martha Louise Rhodes Brown and husband Karl Brown, Crawford Adams Rhodes, Bianca Rhodes Spies, and husband Roy Ehresman, Matthew Truxillo, and wife Dana, Christian Gates Spies and wife Erika Maxey Spies, and Dr. Catherine Ingels Truxillo and husband, Michael Anthony Romaine. Great-nieces and nephews, Jeremiah Ingels Rhodes, II, Travis Roberts, Jenna Rhodes, Mendalin Rhodes, Benjamin Rhodes, Sara Roberts, Adam Roberts, Franklin Rhodes, Sydney Ruth Truxillo, Samuel Rhodes, Martha Teresa Rhodes, Marley Rhodes, Elizabeth Truxillo Romaine, Austin Truxillo Romaine, Christa Gates Spies, Jackson Matthew Truxillo, Abigail Ruth Spies, and Carson Spies Ehresman, and many dear and treasured friends. Ms. Rhodes was preceded in death by her husband Dr. William Hugh Brown, son, Keith Ingels Brown, her grandparents, her parents, aunt, Elizabeth Ingels Rhodes, and brother, Ellis Gates Rhodes and dear and faithful friends.

Ms. Rhodes was very involved in the activities of her children and served as Cub Scout Leader and Girl Scout volunteer, President of the PTA, class mother and school activities volunteer. She taught Sunday School at Christ Church Episcopal in Laredo and at Church of the Redeemer in Eagle Pass. She also taught catechism classes and served as Episcopal Youth Club sponsor. In 1974 she was one of the first women in the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas to be licensed by the Bishop to the Chalice and as Lay Reader. It was a service she cherished performing for the rest of her life. Ms. Rhodes was active in her community serving as President of the Women’s City Club of Laredo, founding President of the local chapter of National Association of Bank Women, President of the Gateway Rotary Club, and served on numerous boards during her lifetime. The United Way was one of her special interests and she served as Co-campaign Chair twice. Ms. Rhodes was a teacher of gifted and talented children, and then was recruited into banking where she worked for fourteen years, ending her career as a Vice President. She then accepted an offer to serve as Regional Director for the Colonias Program of Texas A&M University serving the colonias along the Texas-Mexico border building community centers, developing the Promotora Program and facilitating services for the underserved families living in the poorest places in Texas. A lifetime believer in helping others, Ms. Rhodes served as President of Literacy Volunteers and taught volunteers who then became literacy volunteer teachers and lead goal-setting seminars and customer service seminars for non-profits. After retiring in 1999, Ms. Rhodes and her husband moved to Marfa, Texas and she developed a literacy program co-sponsored by the Marfa Public Library and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. In 2003, she took vows as an Oblate of the Order of St Benedictine, attached to the Monastery of the Holy Cross at Santa Barbara, California. In 2006, she began driving her dear friend, the Reverend Gladys “Punkie” Dennis, to celebrate the Eucharist at St Stephens Church in Ft. Stockton, Texas. In 2013 she moved to Alpine, Texas, where she attended St. James’ Episcopal Church and served on the Bishop’s Committee, was a Rector and Eucharistic Minister, Worship Leader, and hosted a weekly prayer group at her home. She prepared and delivered meals with Meals on Wheels. As a lay person with the Order of St. Luke, she served as Chaplain at the Big Bend Regional Medical Center bringing comfort to the sick.

She loved her God, her family, her church families, her many friends and her extended family of the many people she served. They all made her life rich and full.

Her family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Marfa, Texas for materials for the English as a Second Language Classes or to the Marfa Public Library or to St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Fort Stockton, Texas, or to St. James' Episcopal Church, Alpine, Texas for outreach programs.3903