Louise Estelle (Fikes) Rhodes

Celebration of Life for former Faxon resident, Louise Estelle (Fikes) Rhodes, age 90, of Lawton, Oklahoma, will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March15, 2025, at the First United Methodist Church of Cache, 301 C Avenue, Cache, OK, with Rev. Justin Evans officiating.  Burial will follow in the Faxon Cemetery, in Faxon, Oklahoma, under the direction of Jackson Funeral Home of Frederick. Mrs. Rhodes entered her Heavenly home on Monday, March 10, 2025, in Lawton, Oklahoma, surrounded by loved ones.

 

     Louise Estelle (Fikes) Rhodes was born January 10, 1935, in Rochelle, Texas, to Ruben Lawrence Fikes and Julia Marie (Anderson) Fikes.  She attended Melvin Public Schools from first through eleventh grade. She was united in marriage to Forrest (Bud) Darrell Rhodes, Jr. on June 21, 1952, at Melvin Methodist Church in Melvin, Texas.  Louise graduated from Coleman High School in Coleman, Texas, in 1953.

 

     Bud and Louise had three daughters, Catherine Marie Fowler, Judith (Judy) (Runnels) Bolton, and Cynthia Kaye Phariss.  Bud preceded her in death on October 25, 2007.

 

     Louise worked with her mother as a telephone operator from 1949-1952 in Melvin, Texas, which is where she met the love of her life.  Bud was working in the oilfield, which required him to receive messages and make calls via the telephone operator. Louise said the first time Bud walked in to use the phone he was “the best-looking guy she’d ever laid eyes on,” and instantly knew he was who she intended to marry. 

 

     Bud and Louise moved from place to place with the oilfield, but in 1955 while living in Oklahoma City they welcomed their first-born daughter, Catherine Marie.  Not liking to be gone from home with a family, Bud left the oilfield and they moved to Faxon to work on the Rhodes Family Farm and Dairy.  In August of 1958 Judith (Judy) Diane, was born.  Times were tough on the farm, so Louise started working at J.C. Penney’s and later worked as a bookkeeper at City National Bank & Trust in Lawton, Oklahoma.  After both girls were in school, Louise began college to become a teacher.  

 

    In September of 1967 Cynthia Kaye was born. Louise continued attending college at Cameron College in Lawton, Oklahoma and Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha, Oklahoma, graduating from Cameron College as part of the first class with a 4-year degree with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education in June 1970.  She continued her education and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Education and a Master of Education Degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

 

    Mrs. Rhodes began her teaching career in 1969 (even though she didn’t graduate college until May 1970) by teaching sixth grade math and science at Cache Elementary School. She taught elementary math, science, then later specialized in English until 1980. During that time period, she started the first elementary science fair which was first limited to a few classrooms then later expanded into a school-wide K-6 science fair, was Cache Elementary School’s cheerleader sponsor, and was the 4-H sponsor.  In 1972 she began teaching adult education in the evenings.   One of her greatest accomplishments of which she was most proud was having the honor of teaching an 80-year-old Comanche elder how to read.

 

    Upon completion of her secondary English education degree, Mrs. Rhodes began teaching 10th, 11th, and 12th grade English at Cache High School in 1980 until her retirement in 1992.  Mrs. Rhodes loved grammar and writing (and diagramming sentences), as anyone who ever had her as a teacher can testify.  She was proud to have students win the Cotton Electric Essay contest every year from 1980-1990.  Several of her students were Presidential Leadership winners as well as winners at English Expo’s and at scholastic competitions at Southwestern, Cameron, and Chickasha. She also served as the academic coach for Cache High School from 1981 to 1988; was Cache’s first Teacher of the Year in 1986, was the LaSill Educator of the Year in 1987, the Lawton Noon Optimist Teacher of the Year in 1991, the Optimist Educator of the Year in 1992, and was listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. 

 

    Louise was a very strong-willed, independent, faith-filled praying woman.  She prayed about EVERYTHING!  She prayed for all of her family and named them one-by-one in her prayers.  If she lost something, she prayed about it. She loved spending time with her family and traveling.  She loved playing Canasta, Skip Bo, Uno, and even Poker.  She enjoyed gardening and being outside, but when she could no longer get out, she made jewelry.  She always had jewelry to match her outfit and prided herself by always having her hair fixed, her nails done, and bright red lipstick on.

 

    Louise was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Cache, the Cache Lion’s Club, the Cache Eagles Riding Club, Phi Theta Kappa Fraternity, and a life-time member of the Oklahoma Education Association, National Education Association, and the Comanche County Retired Educators’ Association.

 

   Louise is survived by three daughters: Catherine Fowler and husband Ronnie, of Cache, Oklahoma; Judith (Judy) (Runnels) Bolton and husband Bob of Cache, Oklahoma; and Cynthia Phariss and husband Greg of Walters, Oklahoma; one brother: Gerald Ray (Butch) Fikes and wife Lil of Odessa, Texas;  eight grandchildren: JoReta Kaulaity and husband Henry of Cache, Oklahoma; Justin Runnels and wife Amanda of Choctaw, Oklahoma; Noelle Scarfone and husband Bobby of Geronimo, Oklahoma; Talisha Pohawpatchoko of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Victoria (Mason) Morales and husband Oscar of Lawton, Oklahoma; Elizabeth (Mason) Gonderman and husband Garrett of Ada, Oklahoma; Christopher Mason and fiancé Sierra Pankratz of Savanna, Georgia; and Stephanie (Mason) Sarabia and husband Francisco of Walters, Oklahoma; fifteen great-grandchildren: Trevor Reyes and fiancé Autumn Feliciano of Lawton, Oklahoma; Tanner Reyes and Sabrina (Bri) Ross of Cache, Oklahoma; Morgan Burk, Weston Burk, Hunter Scarfone, and Ryleigh Scarfone of Geronimo, Oklahoma; Aliyah Pohawpatchoko, Aiyana Pohawpatchoko, Alexa Pohawpatchoko, DaShaun Wauqua, and Sophia Poahway of Cache, Oklahoma; Ruby Gonderman and Oliver Gonderman of Ada, Oklahoma; Lucinda (Lucy) Morales of Lawton, Oklahoma; Samantha Sarabia of Walters, Oklahoma; and a host of nieces and nephews and many friends.

 

    She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three brothers: Billy Jack, Gene, and RL Fikes, a sister Barbara Lemons, a brother-in-law E.J. Lemons, three sisters-in-law: Mary Fikes, Darlene Fikes, and Margaret Fikes, a son-in-law Jerry Runnels, a granddaughter Jennifer Deanne Runnels, one nephew Billy Ross Lemons, and one niece Sharon Louise (Fikes) King.