Laura Chambers Rhame

Laura Chambers Rhame, 92, formerly of Cape Girardeau, Mo., passed away August 14, 2012, in Little Rock Ark. at the Parkway Health Center. She was born July 23, 1920, to Anthony and Ada Chambers in Bricksboro, N.J. She was a member of Calvary Nazarene Church and also loved Parkway Place Baptist Church where her grandson, Greg Kelley, is on pastoral staff. Laura was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Rev. John Rhame, five sisters and two brothers. She is survived by her daughter, Carolyn Kelley and her husband Ted of Maumelle Ark., and son, Paul Rhame and his wife, Jana of Festus, Mo.. Also surviving are six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. On August 15, 1936, Laura married Rev. John Rhame, speaker and musician in the Nazarene Denomination. Together they travelled for the next eight years in speaking engagements in 140 cities throughout the Country before they were called to build a church in Sebring, Fla. They pastored in Sebring and Miami, Fla., Syracuse, N.Y., Memphis, Tenn., Jasper, Ala., Tyler, Texas, Sikeston, Mo., and Phoenix, Ariz. before retiring in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where Laura resided until 2004 before she moved to Maumelle, Ark. to live with her daughter and son-in-law. Throughout the years, Laura served as church pianist, Sunday school teacher, missionary president, and youth worker. Upon their move to Cape Girardeau, she worked for JC Penney and Company until the death of her husband in 1986. After his death, she became a volunteer for St. Francis Hospital. In 2004, she received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest award given from the Nazarene Headquarters in Kansas City. A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, August 18, 2012, at Ford and Sons Funeral Home on Mount Auburn Road at 4 p.m. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service from 3-4 p.m. Gravesite rites will be held at Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery. Reverend Greg Kelley will officiate. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to either the Pension and Benefits USA, Church of the Nazarene, 17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Lenexa, Kan. 66220 or the Pursuit class at Parkway Place Baptist Church, 300 Parkway Place Dr., Little Rock, Ark. 72211. "Special thanks to Baptist Hospice Care." Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.