CECIL RHODES obituary

CASPER, Wyo. Cecil M.

“Dusty” Rhodes, 86, of Casper,

Wyo., died Tuesday, June 6, 2006,

at his home.

A service was held Monday at

First United Methodist Church in

Casper.

Dusty was born in Havre on

June 7, 1919, to Leroy E. and

Jeanne Maris Rhodes. He graduated

from Havre High School and

Northern Montana College and

earned a bachelor of science

degree in civil engineering from

the University of Minnesota in

1941. He joined the U.S. Navy

during World War II. He served

on destroyers and submarines in

the Pacific before joining Naval

intelligence at the end of the

war. He continued to serve in the

reserves and eventually achieved

the rank of commander.

When he returned from the

war, he continued his career with

Magnolia Petroleum Co., which

later merged with Mobil Oil

Corp. He worked in exploration

and production for the company

for 45 years. He began with the

crew that drilled the first offshore

well in Louisiana, and

worked moved on to jobs in

Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma,

where he was the youngest assistant

superintendent in Mobil history,

and eventually wound up in

Wyoming. He rose to area supervisor

of the Midwest region.

In 1949, Dusty married

Carolyn “Carlie” Kuhr in Havre.

After retiring, Dusty built his

and Carlie's second home in

Whitefish, where they and their

children spent many memorable

summers and holidays together.

Dusty's interests in geology,

all aspects of the history of

Western civilization and the

American West, reading and

computers. In addition, he was a

lifelong member of the Boy

Scouts of America, earning

Eagle Scout and three palms,

and was presented the distinguished

Silver Beaver award. He

was a dedicated member of

Rotary, a 32nd degree Mason and

a Shriner. Confirmed in the

Methodist Church, he spent 50

years of Sundays there, but in

later life attended Christian

Science Church with Carolyn.

Dusty's survivors include his

wife of 56 years, Carolyn; children,

Marian (Jim) Eskridge of

Denver, Scott Rhodes of

Oklahoma City, Kathlyn Rhodes

of Sacramento, Calif., Janet

(Doug) Kelsey of Langley,

British Columbia, and Julie

(Scott) Sanderude of Ridgefield,

Conn .; brothers, Bryce and

Keith; sister, Doris (David)

Wagner; and seven grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials

can be made to the Boy Scouts of

America, the Rotary Foundation

or United Methodist Church.