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Submitted: 7/25/22 • Approved: 7/27/22 • Last Updated: 7/30/22 • R274503-G274502-S3
Rhoda Ann Carpenter
December 27, 1947 – April 7, 2022
Rhoda Ann (Jordeth) Carpenter went into the arms of Jesus when she died at age 74 on April 7, 2022 with her family at her side. Rhoda was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother (Yoda), aunt, professor, mentor, author, and inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed but her legacy will live on in all whose lives she touched.
Rhoda was born in San Antonio, Texas to Emma (Wessel) Jordeth and Norman Jordeth. She had three siblings (Vicky, Roger, and Darla) that she cherished and remained close with during her life. They were raised by a strong single mother whom Rhoda greatly admired. Rhoda grew up in Mobridge and Lemmon, South Dakota and then moved to Minneapolis, MN during her teens. She met her husband Paul at a college Christian group on the University of Minnesota campus. They were married March 15, 1969 and recently celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. They had three daughters Amy, Emily, and Abigail. She was a beloved matriarch to her children, her sons-in-laws (Derrick, Jeffrey, and Joshua) and seven grandchildren (Alexandria, Lillie, Josephine, Olivia, Cordova, Amos, and Sophia). She never missed a birthday or special event and knew the unique personalities and preferences of her children and grandchildren intimately. Her family was the center of her life and love and this was always so clear to everyone. She was full of love, acceptance, encouragement, and constant support to those around her. She would always answer the phone to talk and freely prayed for even the most minor of concerns, especially for her children and grandchildren. She loved to give gifts and write encouraging cards. Her compassionate nature drove her to care about individuals in pain. Her home was also a symbol of love and support to her children’s friends. Sometimes, they would visit even when that child wasn’t home, just to spend time and receive encouragement and love from Rhoda. She knew their names and their stories. But most importantly, she freely loved them. She was a nurturing role model and inspired others to be their best.
Rhoda initially trained as a nurse but found her true passion studying the Bible. While raising three children, she obtained her masters in counseling and a masters in theology. She studied both Greek and Hebrew diligently and went on to obtain her doctorate of divinity. She taught at University of Sioux Falls and Sioux Falls Seminary for 15 years where she loved, mentored, and inspired countless students. She had a particular love of the holy land after working in a Jordanian hospital for 6 months. She traveled to the Middle East over 30 times with her husband and had the privilege of taking her children several times. It was her dream to take all of her children, their spouses, and grandchildren there one day so they could be inspired by the land where Jesus walked, radically changed history, and gave us our future hope in eternity. After retiring from teaching, she wrote two books on the Psalms and was working on a new book about the God of people in exile as seen in the book of Ezekiel. One of her great passions was to know and teach the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible). She often lamented that Christianity misses its power when not understanding its foundations and how the redemptive and loving God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob began His saving work in these rich stories of the Old Testament. It is in this context that the power and impact of Jesus is truly seen. Jesus is the culmination of God’s redemption throughout history. What incredible living hope!
Rhoda lived her life with eternity perpetually in mind. While we are grateful that she is no longer in pain and is in the loving arms of Jesus, she will be deeply missed…until we meet again.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, April 16, at First Baptist Church, 1401 S. Covell Ave., Sioux Falls, SD. The services will be live streamed on the First Baptist Church web site: https://www.firstb.org/
The family will be present to greet friends from 5:00 – 7:00 pm Friday, April 15, at Miller Funeral Home-Downtown, 507 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Kids Alive International (an orphanage in Beirut, Lebanon) or Sioux Falls Seminary for scholarships to study in Israel/Jordan or to support international students.
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Section Cherry Plot # 1161
Contributed on 7/25/22 by 9kat
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Record #: 274503