Rhoda Reeves remembered as 'leading lady' in business, family

Rhoda Reeves, who died Wednesday at the age of 85, is known to many in the Cape Girardeau area for the successful T-shirt printing and promotional products store Horizon Screen Printing, but she is also remembered by those who knew her for her devotion to family, as well as being an active member of Cape Girardeau County's Republican Party.

Jay Knudtson — home loan banker at First Missouri State Bank, member of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents and former Cape Girardeau mayor — said he got to know Rhoda and her husband, Glenn, well over the years.

"Rhoda was a class 'stand-by-her-man' kind of gal, while also forging a wonderful professional career for herself," Knudtson said. "A wonderful wife, mom, grandma and career lady."

Knudtson also referred to Reeves as "one of Cape's leading ladies in the Republican Party," and said, "she was a tremendous business lady and showed true class."

In addition to founding Horizon Screen Printing, Reeves was a speech pathologist at Parkview State School, a member of Red Hat Society, garden club and a Girl Scout leader, and attended La Croix United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau.

Reeves was also invited to President George W. Bush's first State of the Union address in 2002 as "an acknowledgment of her active involvement with the National Federation of Independent Business," according to a 2007 article by the Southeast Missourian.

John Mehner, president and CEO of Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, said the Reeves were a "major part of the business community for many years," and described them both as "hard workers and awesome people."

She and Henry Glenn Reeves were married May 11, 1963, in Opelousas, Louisiana, and had four children.

Reeves started Horizon Screen Printing in 1981 in Cape Girardeau as a hobby and part-time business in 1983.

For Reeves, screen printing was just another hobby in a long list of arts and crafts, and the business was never intended to become a full-time operation, or a full-blown family business, according to a 1997 article by the Southeast Missourian. Working out of her basement, it took her about two weeks to fill her first 200 shirt orders for the local Girl Scouts troop.

The business later moved into three floors at 430 Broadway, a total of more than 15,000 square feet, and was able to produce more than 10,000 decorated shirts per day. The business is now located at 758 Commercial St. in Cape Girardeau.

Rhoda's husband, Glenn, joined the business in 1986 after retiring from Sears, and served as vice president. Their son, Dru, was the production manager for the business and daughter, Sara, worked in the office at the time.

Glenn preceded her in death Nov. 6, 2019.

Reeves' visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. There will be service.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri at 2536 Boutin Drive in Cape Girardeau.