COLLEGE SWEETHEARTS — It all started in Spring 1992 in Mrs. Annie Heath Speech class at nearby Arkansas Northeastern College (formerly Mississippi County Community College), where Monte and Rhonda Hodges had first crossed paths. Much to their delight, the couple officially exchanged nuptials a little more than two years later on July 23, 1994 which, ironically, was on the birthday of Rhonda’s mother.
As far as this inseparable union goes between this beloved Blytheville, Arkansas-area couple, Rhonda — for the record — speaks of her longtime companion as if…well, on the second thought, no one, quite frankly, can possibly break it down as masterfully as she can.
“When he won my heart, I felt like nothing else in the world mattered,” said Rhonda, sounding all mushy, as only she could during an interview this week with Making Headline News in its annual Salute To Father’s Day Tributes. “I had this feeling of true happiness whenever I saw him.”
Wait. There’s more to this proverbial love story that unfolded more than two decades ago in the heart of the Natural State.
Monte is a renowned Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 55, an office he’s assumed since January 2013.
“I was in love,” Rhonda said with such great authority. “I couldn’t wait to see him, talk to him, and spend time with him. He was and still is my best friend.”
And just like that, one of Arkansas’ most celebrated couples — aside from, oh, Bill and Hillary Clinton — is still very much intertwined in a close-knit relationship, one that spans nearly 2 ½ decades.
It all started in Spring 1992 in Mrs. Annie Heath’s Speech class at nearby Arkansas Northeastern College (formerly Mississippi County Community College), where Monte and Rhonda had first crossed paths.
Much to their delight, the couple officially exchanged nuptials a little more than two years later on July 23, 1994 which, ironically, was on the birthday of Rhonda’s mother.
A native of Joiner, Arkansas who accepted her calling into the ministry in April 2000, Rhonda is a licensed evangelist. Monte, on the other hand, is a renowned Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 55, an office the Blytheville native has assumed since January 2013.
The couple has a son, a speedy, sporty nine-year-old named Jeremiah.
THE JEREMIAH 29:11 AFFECT — The Hodges are parents to child, a speedy, sporty nine-year-old named Jeremiah.
According to those who have followed their love journey throughout the years, the Hodges essentially is the ideal couple after which many aspire to model, considering they’ve become solely committed to keeping God the Focal Point in all they do.
“While he’s not the biggest sports fan, he loves to run,” Rhonda says to Monte, an ordained minister since December 2005 who resembles former Dallas Mavericks NBA champion point guard Jason Terry. “He has done both a marathon and half marathon and works out daily except most Sundays.”
When he isn’t putting his political expertise on display, Monte has become a fixture at staying fit, considering he spends a great amount of time exercising, Rhonda said.
“And thorough in every routine, however, he says he wants to look good for not only himself but for his wife,” Rhonda said of her husband. “As for the parallel (between the competitive drive through sports and his profound love for his wife), with me, there is nothing to compare, because I am the drive behind the machine.”
She isn’t done, mind you.
“He takes great care of me and ensures that he is the husband that God requires him to be for me,” Rhonda said of her husband, an avid public speaker who has overseen a prison ministry for the past 15 years. “He’s very particular about my eating habits. I don’t eat as healthy as he does. He says we are in this together, so we both have to do what it takes to have long life. So he definitely cares about my well-being.”
As for paying homage to her husband for Father’s Day, well, as far as Rhonda is concerned, Monte is worth celebrating all year round.
According to those who have followed their love journey throughout the years, the Hodges essentially is the ideal couple after which many aspire to model, considering they’ve become solely committed to keeping God the Focal Point in all they do.
Especially next month when the Hodges commemorate 24 years of marriage.
“I want him to know that I appreciate all that he has done and doing to be the husband and father to myself and Jeremiah,” Rhonda said. “Watching him work hard to provide for his family, his desire to see a better community even before his political career, wanting to see others succeed, helping around the home to make my load easier, spending quality time with both Jeremiah and me in the midst of a very busy schedule and, most importantly, his love for God are nothing short of what I dreamed of and desired in a husband.
“All of the above has kept our flame of passion burning, and Jeremiah and I are forever grateful,” Rhonda added. “He is not the perfect man but, most assuredly, just right for us. And we love him now more than ever before. Happy Father’s Day…with love.”
Rhonda. Monte.
Monte. Rhonda.
Monte and Rhonda Hodges to be technical.
Enough said.
EDITOR’S NOTE:Whether they are living or deceased, if you would like to pay homage to your father, grandfather, husband, boyfriend, etc., with a unique Salute To Father’s Day Tribute that will feature a story like the one above with multiple photos, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is the Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to andre@makingheadlinenews.com or to memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
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ABOUT ANDRE: Andre Johnson is a longtime sports journalist and a 2000 graduate of the University of the Memphis with Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. A native of Memphis, Johnson is a former sport reporter Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper and Memphis Sport Magazine. He worked as full-time staffer for The Commercial Appeal from 2000-2002, in which he was the beat reporter for the Memphis Houn’dawgs of now-defunct American Basketball Assocation and the Memphis Xplorers of the arenafootball2 league. He has interviewed numerous sports personalities, most notably Archie Manning, LeBron James, George “Iceman” Gervin, Issac Bruce, Laila Ali, Vince Carter, Paul Westphal, Phil Jackson, Ken Hamlin, Cortez Kennedy, Michael Oher, Kobe Bryant, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, James Harden, Patrick Willis, Stanley Morgan, Dirk Nowitzki, Rick Carlisle, Mark Cuban, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, John Force, Lamar Odom, Alexandra Stevenson, Derek Fisher, Penny Hardaway, Phillip Rivers, Colin Kaepernick, Jim Harbaugh, Tyreke Evans, Kirk Ferentz, and O. J. Mayo, among others. To reach Johnson, send email to: memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
Andre Johnson 
EDITOR’S NOTE: Whether they are living or deceased, if you would like to pay homage to your father, grandfather, husband, boyfriend, etc., with a unique Salute To Father’s Day Tribute that will feature a story like the one above with multiple photos, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
