Our Staff
Our Staff
Kris Rhodes
Funeral Director In Charge/Funeral Director/Preneed Advisor
Kris Rhodes grew up and attended schools in Clear Lake
City (Houston) for 12 years before moving to Mexia, TX and graduating High School in 1991. She graduated Baylor University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health, Human
Performance and Recreation with a minor in Gerontology, while also working full
time at Regis/St. Elizabeth nursing home.
In 1995 Kris and Scott Rhodes married, and have attended
a local Baptist church for over 25 years.
The couple’s two sons, who both attended and graduated from Midway Schools, are currently enrolled
in college. The youngest is a Waco area Realtor. Kris was fortunate enough to
be a stay at home mom for 15 years.
As a young adult, after attending a funeral, Kris was
drawn to the organizational aspects of the funeral business. Later on, several
classes at Baylor sparked her interest in death care. However, it was while assisting her mother in
the funeral arrangements for members of her own family that her desire to be an
advocate for families in their times of need began to grow.
In 2015 she joined the Grace Gardens family as a funeral
assistant and her calling into funeral work blossomed. In 2017 she earned her funeral director’s
license and became a full time funeral director, allowing her to live out her
greatest passion of serving others.
Kris’ goal is to really hear and connect with families
helping them create the meaningful experience they need when a loved one
passes. She seeks to be creative and
innovative, and strives to offer love and care to all. To Kris, it is her
ministry, not her job. Her philosophy is “No ask is too small or too big, there
is a reason it was asked, and we need to make it happen.”
Dale Evers
Funeral Director/Embalmer
Dale Evers was born to long time McGregor and Moody area
parents, Parke D. and Raye (Laughlin) Evers in Waco, Texas. He began his education in the McGregor Independent
School District. The family later moved
to the Woodway edition of Waco in the 1970’s. Dale played basketball with the Midway Eighth
grade basketball team and graduated from Midway High School with perfect
attendance his senior year in 1977. He
was a member of the red, White and Blue Midway Panther Band and was an active
member of the Key Club and was yearbook editor.
He furthered his education at McMurry University in Abilene,
Texas, graduating in 1982 with a BBA in Financial Economics. While at McMurry,
he took an active part in many phases of campus life. He was a resident assistant, served on the
dorm council, was president of Hunt Resident Hall, a member of Christian Life
Fellowship, was chairman of the College Worship Committee where he was
instrumental in organizing the first campus Christmas Candle Light service. He
was a member of Phi Beta Lambda, (a business organization), Ko Sari Social Fraternity
and the McMurry Indian Concert, Jazz Ensemble and Marching Band. He enjoyed touring with the Concert and Jazz
Bands each year.
In August of 1982, he enrolled in the Dallas Institute of Funeral
Service and graduated in the fall of 1983.
In 1985, he attended Baylor University for a few years, where he worked
on a Masters Degree in business.
Between his junior and senior year in high school, Dale embarked
on his career in funeral service with Charles Cole at Amsler Funeral Home in
McGregor. A few years later, in 1978, the business merged with Lee Funeral Home
and became Cole Funeral Home where he did his internship for his embalmers and
funeral director license. Later for 18
years, he managed the business and after 34 years in funeral service in
McGregor, Texas, Dale joined Higginbotham Funeral Homes of Texas in 2015
and works with a great staff at Grace Gardens Funeral Home in Waco, Texas.
Being reared in the Methodist Church, Dale is an active member
of First United Methodist Church in McGregor where he serves in many
capacities. Dale believes it is
important to take an active part in one’s community. He is a member of the McGregor Lions Club
where he has held various offices, a past member of the McGregor Masonic Lodge
and current member of the Crawford Masonic Lodge, was a member of the
McGregor Chamber of Commerce and served as Chairman in 2000 and was evolved
with the McGregor United Way.
In his spare time, Dale enjoys landscaping, home improvement
projects, and watching high school and college football and basketball as well
as participating and volunteering with adaptive sports organizations. Through the years, he has had many pets, most
being beagles who he has loved with all his heart. He also enjoys traveling,
taking cruises and being around people.
Dale's goal in funeral service has been to minister to others at
a very difficult time in one’s life. He works
diligently to create a memorable and personal service for families.
Glenda Holland
Care Center Coordinator/Funeral Director/Embalmer/Preneed Advisor/Aftercare Coordinator
Glenda was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico where
she experienced growing up on a ranch and farm run by her loving parents and
grandparents when times were simple and family oriented. Growing up in that
environment gave her a love and compassion for the understanding of life and
death on a daily basis.
She married her husband Lynn in 1974 and had three
wonderful children who were her life and world for several years before she
took a job in 1985 as a receptionist at Ballard Funeral Home in Roswell. She
found a passion and inner satisfaction in helping others during a difficult
time after the death of a family member. She decided to further her education
in order to go to Mortuary school and become a funeral director at a time
funeral directing was dominated by male directors.
Glenda attended Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell graduating with a degree in Business in 1989 and immediately went on to attend Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services in Houston, TX where she graduated with honors and distinction with the Waltrip Award, most likely to succeed. During mortuary school and after graduating, she worked at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons in Houston before being transferred to Waltrip Funeral Directors as manager. Ventures would take her from Texas to Oklahoma for several years before moving back to Texas.
She had semi-retired for a short time, but on January 30, 2018, she lost her only son after a very short hard battle with cancer which reignited her feelings and reopened all the passion and desire to help families who were going through what she had just gone through. Because of the care and compassion of Grace Garden’s Funeral Home during that difficult time, Glenda begin working for Higginbotham Funeral Homes of Texas, making Grace Garden’s Funeral Home her second home.
During her career span, she has worked at funeral homes in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas over a period of 35 years in many capacities from Funeral director/embalmer, pre-need consultant, aftercare coordinator, trainer, management and care center supervisor.
Her hobbies include, antiquing, decorating for holidays, spending time with her family and spoiling her grandchildren.
Ryan Baldridge
Crematory Manager
Ryan is a long time Woodway resident. He graduated from Midway High School in 2002.
Ryan is very detail oriented and is a huge asset to Grace
Gardens. He began working as a funeral
assistant in 2017. His organizational
skills improved many facets of our daily operations. In 2019, he took on the role of crematory
operator, using his gifts to provide reliable and dignified service. He is currently the crematory manager,
overseeing all aspects of the cremation process. He also provides technical support and helps
in other avenues of funeral service.
Even though Ryan doesn’t serve families face to face, his support to the
staff and his service of cremation is his way of offering support and care to all
those Grace Gardens serves.
Ryan enjoys repairing antique clocks and watches,
restoring antiques, collecting old photos, and fountain pens.
Giselle Sayers
Office Administrator
Giselle grew up on the island of Barbados, in the
Caribbean. Spending her days on the
beach windsurfing, sailing or snorkeling are childhood memories she treasures. She lived there for 21 years and moved to
Waco, Texas when she married her husband Kevin in 1997. She has lived here for almost 24 years and
they have two children who are currently in college. Giselle went to MCC after moving here and got
her Associates Degree in Business Management in 2000. She was a stay at home mom for 17 years, when
she decided to venture back into the working world. She started working at Grace Gardens in
January of 2020, where she is the Office Administrator.
Giselle enjoys the behind the scenes work, bringing all the memories of
families loved ones together and making sure they are remembered with all the
love of their family.
Funeral Assistants
We could not care for our familes without the help of our amazing Funeral Assistant staff, they are: Robert Buchanan, Emily Christian, Janet
Green, Jeff Grieder, Alice and Tom Ledbetter, Sherrie Lightsey,
Roy Marshall, Scott Rhodes, Betty Walsleben, Jack Whiddon, and Weldon Wright
Chrystyn Carpenter
Office/Insurance Coordinator
Chrystyn was
born and raised in Clifton, Texas where she also attended and graduated from
Clifton High School. She was also a member of the Clifton High School Marching
Band and loved competing in marching competitions. After graduation in 2016 she
was unsure of what she really wanted to do in life, so she took a leap of faith
and got her foot in the door of the funeral home business working at Grace
Gardens. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends and family,
photography, scrapbooking, and attending concerts.
Jeff Grieder
Care Center Assistant/ Funeral Director and Embalmer Apprentice
Jeff was born and raised in the Houston area of Texas,
eventually living, and attending school in the Pearland Independent School
System. In school he enjoyed working in
Journalism and Theatre where he was honored to become a Thespian in his
Freshman year of High School. Throughout
his young life he dabbled in several different fields. In 2004 he found the travel industry and spent
the next 16 years traveling the world.
His specialty was Cruise Vacations and he still plans to continue to
cruise the world. Little did he know
that when the Covid Pandemic hit, his career path would change. The Management of Grace Gardens Funeral Home
approached him about assisting in funeral services and visitations part time. He instantly fell in love and enjoyed
assisting the families and felt the reward of being there for them in their
time of need. Jeff is now full time at
Grace gardens Funeral Home and attending the Dallas Institute of Funeral
Services where he will earn his Associates Degree in Applied Sciences in
Funeral Services. In his spare time he
enjoys reading and riding roller coasters.
He is also a member of the First United Methodist Church of McGregor
where he also serves on the administrative board.
Whitney Bushing
Office Administrator / Funeral Director and Embalmer Apprentice
Scott Rhodes
Grounds and Maintenance / Funeral Assistant
Robert Carpenter
Crematory Assistant / Care Center Assistant / Building Maintenance
