Ezekiel (Zeke) Clinton Rhea was born September 5, 1906 near Dermont, Texas, the youngest child of William Tell Rhea and Margaret (Maggie) Joyce Rhea. He was adored by his siblings; sisters, Laura, Pearl, Carrie and Mary; and his brother, William Henry (Buck).
Zeke was a mischievous, curious little boy. When his sister would bake sugar cookies, he would sneak in and steal a few that were on the table cooling and crawl under the house to have his feast. Once while sitting on the old railroad bridge watching turtles in the creek below, he leaned over just a little too far and fell head over heels into the creek bed.
Zeke attended a one-room school in Dermont not far from the Rhea homestead for his entire education. It became his job to fetch the coal and start the fire before school began. He graduated after the 11th grade as was required back in those days. After graduation, he began working in the oilfields near Wichita Falls, TX. He labored one season there and came back home to work for the Santa Fe Railroad, where he remained for the next 47 years. He was a hard worker and sometimes took a part-time job as well as his regular work just so his family could have all the best things.
When she was just 16 and he was 25, Zeke met and fell in love with Evelyn Pettigrew. They married just after she graduated from Post High School in 1933 and spent their honeymoon at the Chicago World's Fair. After the Fair they went on to Detroit to pick up their brand new Ford right off the assembly line. They never forgot that journey from Detroit back to the Panhandle of Texas in their Model A.
Zeke and Evelyn adored their two sons; Clinton Tell born in 1948 and Stephen Pettigrew born in 1955. To his children and grandchild, Zeke was known as "Pop". The family spent Pop's vacation in August traveling the country, camping out and seeing the sights. He took pride in being able to camp under the same tree at Lake Vallecito near Durango, Colorado for many years. He was delighted to be able to camp with his only grandson, Gregory Dane Rhea, on one of the Colorado adventures.
Pop was addicted to jigsaw puzzles and spent hours with his sons and grandson assembling the pieces. He was fierce at dominoes and wouldn't give an inch to any family member regardless of age.
After his retirement, Zeke was proud that his Santa Fe Pass that let him ride free on any train. He just loved those old trains. He was an avid the Texas Ranger baseball fan and could be found with his ear to the radio whenever they were playing. Zeke spent his last years in Temple and Dallas, Texas. In his later years, he developed diabetes. He passed away in Garland, Texas, on August 15, 1989.
Zeke was a mischievous, curious little boy. When his sister would bake sugar cookies, he would sneak in and steal a few that were on the table cooling and crawl under the house to have his feast. Once while sitting on the old railroad bridge watching turtles in the creek below, he leaned over just a little too far and fell head over heels into the creek bed.
Zeke attended a one-room school in Dermont not far from the Rhea homestead for his entire education. It became his job to fetch the coal and start the fire before school began. He graduated after the 11th grade as was required back in those days. After graduation, he began working in the oilfields near Wichita Falls, TX. He labored one season there and came back home to work for the Santa Fe Railroad, where he remained for the next 47 years. He was a hard worker and sometimes took a part-time job as well as his regular work just so his family could have all the best things.
When she was just 16 and he was 25, Zeke met and fell in love with Evelyn Pettigrew. They married just after she graduated from Post High School in 1933 and spent their honeymoon at the Chicago World's Fair. After the Fair they went on to Detroit to pick up their brand new Ford right off the assembly line. They never forgot that journey from Detroit back to the Panhandle of Texas in their Model A.
Zeke and Evelyn adored their two sons; Clinton Tell born in 1948 and Stephen Pettigrew born in 1955. To his children and grandchild, Zeke was known as "Pop". The family spent Pop's vacation in August traveling the country, camping out and seeing the sights. He took pride in being able to camp under the same tree at Lake Vallecito near Durango, Colorado for many years. He was delighted to be able to camp with his only grandson, Gregory Dane Rhea, on one of the Colorado adventures.
Pop was addicted to jigsaw puzzles and spent hours with his sons and grandson assembling the pieces. He was fierce at dominoes and wouldn't give an inch to any family member regardless of age.
After his retirement, Zeke was proud that his Santa Fe Pass that let him ride free on any train. He just loved those old trains. He was an avid the Texas Ranger baseball fan and could be found with his ear to the radio whenever they were playing. Zeke spent his last years in Temple and Dallas, Texas. In his later years, he developed diabetes. He passed away in Garland, Texas, on August 15, 1989.
Ezekiel (Zeke) Clinton Rhea was born September 5, 1906 near Dermont, Texas, the youngest child of William Tell Rhea and Margaret (Maggie) Joyce Rhea. He was adored by his siblings; sisters, Laura, Pearl, Carrie and Mary; and his brother, William Henry (Buck).
Zeke was a mischievous, curious little boy. When his sister would bake sugar cookies, he would sneak in and steal a few that were on the table cooling and crawl under the house to have his feast. Once while sitting on the old railroad bridge watching turtles in the creek below, he leaned over just a little too far and fell head over heels into the creek bed.
Zeke attended a one-room school in Dermont not far from the Rhea homestead for his entire education. It became his job to fetch the coal and start the fire before school began. He graduated after the 11th grade as was required back in those days. After graduation, he began working in the oilfields near Wichita Falls, TX. He labored one season there and came back home to work for the Santa Fe Railroad, where he remained for the next 47 years. He was a hard worker and sometimes took a part-time job as well as his regular work just so his family could have all the best things.
When she was just 16 and he was 25, Zeke met and fell in love with Evelyn Pettigrew. They married just after she graduated from Post High School in 1933 and spent their honeymoon at the Chicago World's Fair. After the Fair they went on to Detroit to pick up their brand new Ford right off the assembly line. They never forgot that journey from Detroit back to the Panhandle of Texas in their Model A.
Zeke and Evelyn adored their two sons; Clinton Tell born in 1948 and Stephen Pettigrew born in 1955. To his children and grandchild, Zeke was known as "Pop". The family spent Pop's vacation in August traveling the country, camping out and seeing the sights. He took pride in being able to camp under the same tree at Lake Vallecito near Durango, Colorado for many years. He was delighted to be able to camp with his only grandson, Gregory Dane Rhea, on one of the Colorado adventures.
Pop was addicted to jigsaw puzzles and spent hours with his sons and grandson assembling the pieces. He was fierce at dominoes and wouldn't give an inch to any family member regardless of age.
After his retirement, Zeke was proud that his Santa Fe Pass that let him ride free on any train. He just loved those old trains. He was an avid the Texas Ranger baseball fan and could be found with his ear to the radio whenever they were playing. Zeke spent his last years in Temple and Dallas, Texas. In his later years, he developed diabetes. He passed away in Garland, Texas, on August 15, 1989.
Zeke was a mischievous, curious little boy. When his sister would bake sugar cookies, he would sneak in and steal a few that were on the table cooling and crawl under the house to have his feast. Once while sitting on the old railroad bridge watching turtles in the creek below, he leaned over just a little too far and fell head over heels into the creek bed.
Zeke attended a one-room school in Dermont not far from the Rhea homestead for his entire education. It became his job to fetch the coal and start the fire before school began. He graduated after the 11th grade as was required back in those days. After graduation, he began working in the oilfields near Wichita Falls, TX. He labored one season there and came back home to work for the Santa Fe Railroad, where he remained for the next 47 years. He was a hard worker and sometimes took a part-time job as well as his regular work just so his family could have all the best things.
When she was just 16 and he was 25, Zeke met and fell in love with Evelyn Pettigrew. They married just after she graduated from Post High School in 1933 and spent their honeymoon at the Chicago World's Fair. After the Fair they went on to Detroit to pick up their brand new Ford right off the assembly line. They never forgot that journey from Detroit back to the Panhandle of Texas in their Model A.
Zeke and Evelyn adored their two sons; Clinton Tell born in 1948 and Stephen Pettigrew born in 1955. To his children and grandchild, Zeke was known as "Pop". The family spent Pop's vacation in August traveling the country, camping out and seeing the sights. He took pride in being able to camp under the same tree at Lake Vallecito near Durango, Colorado for many years. He was delighted to be able to camp with his only grandson, Gregory Dane Rhea, on one of the Colorado adventures.
Pop was addicted to jigsaw puzzles and spent hours with his sons and grandson assembling the pieces. He was fierce at dominoes and wouldn't give an inch to any family member regardless of age.
After his retirement, Zeke was proud that his Santa Fe Pass that let him ride free on any train. He just loved those old trains. He was an avid the Texas Ranger baseball fan and could be found with his ear to the radio whenever they were playing. Zeke spent his last years in Temple and Dallas, Texas. In his later years, he developed diabetes. He passed away in Garland, Texas, on August 15, 1989.
