Golden Deeds

Rhodes Brothers Are Renowned for Philanthropy, Fun & Camp Stew

Hosting a fish fry for 100 guests might be a daunting endeavor for some folks, but not for brothers Carroll and Danny Rhodes.

They say it’s an energizing rite of spring to welcome the Pike County Sheriff’s Office staff and cook for them at their home about 4 miles east of Goshen. About 10 years ago, the Rhodes brothers started the tradition, typically held in March or April.

“We’ve known the sheriff all our lives and want him and his deputies and staff to know how much they’re appreciated,” Carroll says. “For an event this big, we count on volunteers to help us, too, and several people give us donations.”

Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas says everyone appreciates the brothers’ generosity.

“It’s a chance for us all — staff and volunteers — to get together and enjoy good company and food. The brothers have such a true servant’s heart,” the sheriff says. “When they first suggested the fish fry, they paid for it all. They’re generous, respected, friendly, always upbeat, salt of the earth, and will help anyone. For decades, they’ve been such a big supporter of our schools and churches with cooking at events.”

The fish fry for the sheriff’s office is just one example of the countless times the brothers have prepared food, especially their signature award-winning camp stew made from a secret family recipe. They’ve grilled burgers for ballgames, fried fish for school and church fundraisers and helped with camp stew for the volleyball team.

“We’re just 2 bachelor brothers living in our family home doing what we love — cooking and helping others,” Carroll says. “It’s how we were brought up. For several years, depending on their schedule, our friends Larry Snyder and Royce Stroud helped us with our stew. Royce passed on, so we like to think he’s looking down on us, making sure we’re still doing everything just right.”

Repaying Kindness

Danny says helping out is their way of giving back to their community.

“The community has been so good to us all our lives; we never forgot it,” Danny says. “This is our way to repay that kindness.”

Their father died when they were young. Their mother, Mary, and older sister, Annette, taught Danny and Carroll to cook. A 3-ring binder serves as their cookbook and holds the family recipes, some in their mother’s and sister’s handwriting.

“We still have a cookbook our sister made with our favorite family recipes,” Danny says. “Don’t ask us to make biscuits, though. We ain’t mastered that yet.”

Graduates of Goshen High School, the Rhodes brothers say they bleed purple and gold, still watch Eagles games, and are honored to have more than 5 decades of service to the school’s athletic boosters. The brothers support school events throughout Pike and Crenshaw counties.

Former Goshen football coach Bart Snyder nominated Carroll and Danny for the Troy Exchange Club’s 2025 Book of Golden Deeds Award. In June, the brothers received the award given to those who serve their community faithfully.

“They’re truly pillars of our community,” says Snyder, a board trustee for the South Alabama Electric Cooperative. “As long as I can remember, they’ve given of themselves to help others — especially the youth of the communities that make up Goshen. From church activities, youth rec league games, to anything that goes on with the schools in Goshen and the surrounding areas, they’re always there to support programs. They’re a blessing for my family and me. Honestly, anyone who crosses their path will receive a blessing. They’re great men, and our world sure needs more like them.”

Donna Jones, the exchange club’s vice president, says the brothers are kind and humble.

“They always greet you with a smile,” she says. “They have big hearts, which they spread across the community. They’re fine Christian men. I’ve known them for many years and am proud to call them my friends.”

Carroll says the award was a complete surprise.

“It’s really special to us,” he says. “We don’t do our cooking to get attention.”

Sterw Secrets

While generous with their servings of stew, the brothers concede they are protective of their complete recipe. For 3 consecutive years, they won Goshen’s Camp Stew Cookoff. They credit their uncle Roy Shaver and Earl Folmar, a neighbor and close friend, for teaching them how to make it, step by step.

“We’ve got a few secrets we can’t give away, but are glad to share the basic ingredients — beef, chicken, pork, tomatoes, onions, and ketchup,” Carroll says.

When they started, they used a cast-iron pot, but soon outgrew it.

“People wanted so much that we had to switch to a heavy-duty 25-gallon pot,” Carroll says.

They make camp stew year-round. From October to about March, they stir up a monthly batch in their cookhouse at home. Working together for decades, the brothers’ culinary choreography requires no words as they do their tasks.

“I start cooking the meat and seasonings — don’t wait till the end to put seasonings in,” Danny says. “Then Bubba starts peeling potatoes. That’s what I’ve always called him because I couldn’t pronounce his name when we were kids. Then I start tearing up the tomatoes and onions in the food processor and cook that with the meat, too. You have to start with fresh ingredients and stir constantly so it won’t scorch on the bottom.”

When the brothers are not cooking, they’re fishing the Conecuh River or hunting deer “to share with those who need the meat.”

They retired from the Alabama Department of Transportation, where Carroll worked for 36 years and Danny for 25 years.

“We done got a little age on us and are slowing down a little,” Carroll says, adding they’d like to find the right person to carry on their stew-making tradition.

“I’m 69, workin’ on 70, and Danny’s 68, so we’d like to find someone to keep on making it. As long as we can push the paddle around, we’ll keep making stew. We’ve been doing it so long, it’s hard to quit.”