Margaret Rhoades

Margaret Ann Bromley Varner Rhoades took her position in the eternal kingdom on June 3, 2018, after battling cancer. She died peacefully in her home with family present. She was preceded in death by her father, Frank D. Bromley Sr.; her mother, Anna Mae Trewhitt Bromley; and her brother, Frank D. Bromley Jr all of Cleveland. She is survived by her husband, James E. Rhoades. She is also survived by her brother, David Bromley, of Nashville, Tenn., and his wife Diane; her sons, Richard D. Varner, wife Theresa, of Ooltewah, Barry D. Varner, of Canton, Ga., Michael W. Varner, wife Kimberly, of Cleveland, Jeffrey A. Varner, wife Michele of Cleveland; and special adopted son, Duane Kiser, of Cleveland. She leaves behind grandchildren Morgan and Matthew Varner, of Ooltewah, Abigail and Zackary Varner, of Canton, Ga., Hannah and Brandon Varner, of Cleveland; several stepgrandchildren; and two great-grandchildren Allie Varner and Camden Mayton. Margaret Rhoades graduated from Bradley Central High School and began working at American Uniform of Cleveland for several years before pursuing her lifelong ambition of becoming a Registered Nurse at Cleveland State Community College. She completed Cleveland State’s Nursing program with honors, and became a sorority sister of Phi Theta Kappa Fraternity. She began her career as a RN at Hamilton County Nursing Home around 1975. She accepted a nursing position in the Intensive Care Unit at Cherokee Park Hospital in Cleveland, Tenn., and moved on to Bradley Memorial Hospital where she worked with excellent nurses like Imelda Jones, Lynn Dunlap, Margaret Wright, Shirley Striker, and her beloved ICU friend, Fer-Edith. She worked most of her nursing career at Bradley Memorial as a Charge Nurse in the Cardiac step-down unit. She completed her nursing career with a brief time at Life Care of Cleveland, TN, and retired in 2001 to focus full time on her husband James, her children, and her grandchildren whom she loved dearly. Margaret enjoyed gardening and pilfering tomatoes from her brother Frank’s garden. She loved to laugh and was an epic jokester. Margaret always stressed the importance of Christian values to her family, loved the Holy Scriptures, and listened to good Biblical preaching. She was a very compassionate person who loved to serve others. She was of the Baptist faith and was a member of Waterville Baptist Church. Margaret knew where she would spend eternity. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2018, in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with her son Reverend Mike Varner officiating. Interment will follow, with Richard Varner, Barry Varner, Michael Varner, Jeffery Varner, Matthew Varner, and Zackary Varner serving as pallbearers, with Duane Kiser serving as honorary pall-bearer. The family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home Wednesday, June 6, 2018. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Rhoades family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com