Malinda Rhodes Wilson

October 4, 1926 ~ August 12, 2006
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
Asheville ~ Malinda Rhodes Wilson, 79, of Foxcroft Drive died on Saturday, August 12, 2006, after a long illness.
A native of Asheville, she was the daughter of the late Gavin L. and Margaret Southers Rhodes. She was the wife of the late Arnold L. Wilson, who died May 8, 2006, and was also preceded in death by a brother Richard Rhodes. She was a member of Montmorenci United Methodist Church.
Survivors include a brother, Paul J. Rhodes and wife Vondell of Asheville and sister, Mary Ann Pendley of Tucker, GA; a brother-in-law, Pete Wilson and his wife Jean of Asheville; nieces, Pamela Fish, Linda Case, Karen Pendley; nephews, Dusty, Michael and Vic Rhodes, Robert Pendley and Christopher Rhodes; several grand nieces and grand nephews.
A graveside service will be held at 11:00 am Tuesday in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Enka.
The family will receive friends following the service at the cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Mountain Area Hospice, P.O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813.
Linda died on August 12. 2006. Today is October 28, 2006 and I’m just now reading Linda’s guest book. (By the way, tomorrow is our mother, Hilda DeGraff’s, birthday; if she was alive today, she would be 80 years old on October 29, 2006. But this is about Linda (and Arnold, they were one) in response to my sisters’ messages. Ditto, Maria, Vicki and Mary Anne. We all have some same, some differing memories of Ashville, Candler, Enka and Cataloochie. Memories that will never die. I’m listening to The Platters, music inbued with memories of Mom and Dad and Arnold and Linda. We DeGraff Sisters, and our brother Jack, were blessed to have had Linda and Arnold in our lives. To this day, I still tell people about Linda and Arnold, and I hate that I always have to stop and explain who they are. Why, shouldn’t everyone know why the DeGraffs talk about Linda and Arnold? Doesn’t eveyone know who Linda and Arnold are? They should. And I should close this message to Linda and those of us who loved her and will miss everything about her, especially that laugh!!
I would like to say what a wonderful woman Linda was. She and Arnold were considered our godparents as they were dear friends of our parents. I am the baby of the ‘DeGraff’s’ and we have many fond memories of summers spent with both of them. I’m so glad Linda is now with Arnold. We will miss them both.
I could not believe it when I read Linda was gone. Just 3 months after Arnold. What great people they were. We sure treasure the times we had together at Dixon’s Little Boy here in Canton. They’re together again now, as they always were in this life.
Linda Wilson was a joy to be around.I have many memories as a little girl when my dad and mom took our family to visit her and Arnold.We spent many fun days and nights on the Cataloochie River camping,taking baths in the river and fishing.We would visit them in Candlor /Enka.I love tomatoe sandwiches with american cheese thanks to her.She was a breath of ‘ fresh air and sunshine’.I will miss her.
She and Arnold are reunited with my mom and dad.I thank God that I have been blessed by her.She will be missed by many.
Wish we had known each other.
I loved Linda. She was my second mother. I spent so many summers with her and Arnold. They were special people and we will always love them. I can’t begin to write down my memories with them. They are so many and were all so wonderful. Pam mentioned the creamed corn and fried okra today at the funeral. I’ll always remember that dish. I would put the creamed corn over my fried okra. Yummy. Also, I loved her spagetti (sic). They were a wonderful couple and I am glad they are reunited. May God Bless the family.
Maria Horton
What a lovely lady. We loved seeing her and Arnold come into Dixon’s for lunch. You can’t keep soal mates apart, they are together again just as they were on this earth. The greatest thing about that is they will never have to say good bye again. God is good!!!
It was such a shock to hear Linda had died. I know she was so good to Arnold and they were such a loving couple. She is with him now. I stayed with them a lot when I was young. I’ll never forget trying to get the cat out from under the bed. Arnold’s big voice said ‘what are you do’in under there??’ It scared me and I ran into Linda’s arms. Arnold was so upset he had scared me. That’s how they both were … always wanting to show love and affection … for each other and those around them. They both will be missed, but they are together now and happy.