In Memoriam : Bertie Rhodes
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Bertie Faye Rhodes - age: 87
(April 12, 1935 to October 12, 2022 ) Resident of Exeter, California Visitation Information: Visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 from 2-6 p.m. at Evans Miller Guinn Chapel. Graveside service will take place on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 2 p.m. at the Exeter District Cemetery Obituary: Vernon & Hattie Hutchison were married in March 1934. Their first child, Bertie Faye, was born one year later, on April 12, 1935, in Blue Eye, Missouri. Less than six months later the small family moved to Phoenix, Arizona with Hattie’s parents, four broths and one sister. Vernon had an older sister, Parlie Plumlee, who had moved to Exeter with her husband, Sheridan. Hattie’s brother, Beecher, decided to go to Exeter as there was plenty of work. The rest of the family soon followed and made their home in Exeter, California the first part of 1936, when Bertie Faye was 1 year old. Bertie’s brother, Bobby Ray was born in August 1937, and her sister, Delores Mae, was born in August 1941. In 1943 Vernon & Hattie purchased their first home on Rocky Hill Drive. Bertie Faye, her brother, and sister grew up in this house, which is now an Airbnb. When Bertie was 10 years old, the family became members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1950 a new Seventh-day Adventist boarding school opened in Watsonville, California. Bertie and her aunt Violet attended. Bertie attended Monterey Bay Academy for three years, graduating in 1953. This year would have been her 70th high school reunion! After graduating high school, Bertie went to Pacific Union College in Angwin, California. After a year of college, she and her girlfriend decided to move to San Francisco and become secretaries. This is where she met Carrol Baker. They were married in early 1955 and moved to Missouri where Carrol was from. Their first child, James, was born in November 1955 and their second son, Richard, was born in September 1957. It was only a couple of months later Carrol sent Bertie and her two sons to Exeter, California. They were divorced soon afterwards. Bertie moved back to Rocky Hill Drive with her two young sons. In the next two years Bertie became reacquainted with someone she knew as a teenager in Exeter. Autie Rhodes, known as A.L., and Bertie were married in January 1960. Garland was born in September 1960 and Jeff was born in October 1961. In December 1962, Bertie gave birth to a daughter, but she did not survive. A.L. worked in highway construction moving back and forth from Arizona and California, and once to Utah. It was in 1971 that they purchased property and had a house built on Avenue 256 outside of Exeter. They now had a permanent home. Bertie was an accomplished cook and loved to decorate cakes. She once said, “There are people who cook, and then there are cooks!” Bertie worked in the kitchen at the Exeter hospital for several years. She obtained a 2-year dietetic technician degree from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia. She also loved to read. Especially mystery novels. Bertie also enjoyed watching Nascar racing. A.L. passed in August 1994 at the age of 62. Bertie lived at the Avenue 256 house for a total of 51 years. Bertie returned going to the Exeter Seventh-day Adventist church where she would help her mother making quilts in the Dorcus Community Center at the church. She only stopped going to church after she could not get around easily. Mom outlived her parents, both of her husband, her younger brother & sister, and grandson. She had four sons, 13 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Mom was the matriarch of our family. Even with our mistakes and failures, she loved us unconditionally. Mom also celebrated our triumphs! She loved her family, nephews and nieces, and many cousins. Whenever we talked on the phone, I always ended the call by telling her I loved her. Her reply was always the same, “I love you too, Hun!” She will forever be loved and missed! 
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