State Highway Patrol, friends, family celebrate Rhodes' 91st birthday, years of service with VFW

State Highway Patrol members joined friends and family of Edwin "Pete" E. Rhodes to celebrate his 91st birthday and his service with VFW on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the VFW Post No. 3838 in Cape Girardeau.

A Korean War veteran, Rhodes still manages the VFW Post after 30 years. The Highway Patrol troopers honored his service by giving him a custom decorative license plate to place on the back of Rhodes' wheelchair.

Rhodes said he retired early and took a job managing the VFW until they could find somebody to replace him, and has been there ever since.

"I enjoy people, and this here, this here is what kept me alive. It gives me some reason to get up and get out of the house instead of laying around," he said.

Rhodes said a lot of his favorite memories of managing the post have been building relationships with patrons.

State Highway Patrol troopers Jayson Spain places Rhodes' decorative license plate on the back of his wheelchair Tuesday, Feb. 6, at VFW Post No. 3838 in Cape Girardeau.Nathan Gladden

"I had lots of good friends all through this time, going back 30 years, and there's some of them old when I got this job and they got older just like I did, and we've been fortunate to have some of them in their 90s," Rhodes said.

Rhodes said while he didn't plan to work as long as he has, he said it ultimately still makes him feel happy and it doesn't look like there's someone to replace him yet.

He said he always tries to make sure people are treated right and with respect. Rhodes said he even sees appreciation from younger people in dart leagues who come to the VFW.

"They treat me like their dad," he said. "A matter of fact, some of them even call me 'dad.'"

Rhodes described his daughter Debbie Rhodes-Hodge as a "lifesaver" for him as he still works at the VFW.

Rhodes-Hodge said her dad taught them the meaning of a hard work ethic as children.

"Dad's dedication is like no other," Rhodes-Hodge said. "He doesn't know the meaning of the word give up."

She said that even when her dad broke his hip, it couldn't keep him away from the Post. While her dad described her as a lifesaver, Rhodes-Hodge said something very similar about him.

"I have always been a daddy's girl but, you know, the independent person that he made me want to be, to stand on my own two feet but to know that standing with him is better than standing without him," she said.