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Lt. Colonel Rhode Danielson was promoted to Glory July 23, 2010, from the hospital in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico while on furlough.
Born Rhode Angelica Doria Saucedo on July 29, 1959, to Lieutenants Guillermo and Cecilia Doria in Mexico City, Rhode came to know the Lord at age 6. In elementary school, she shared tracts with fellow students, wanting them to know that she was a Christian. By the time she was 12, she was a Sunday school teacher, and by 14, a senior soldier and a corps cadet. She felt the call to officership during youth councils.
Rhode studied at the Normal Superior Matías S. Canales teacher’s college in Tampico and became an elementary school teacher. She received a Master’s Degree in Higher Education specializing in mathematics from the University of Guadalajara, and a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the Universidad Evangélica de las Américas in San José, Costa Rica.
In 1981, Rhode met Doug Danielson in Mexico City when he traveled down for the territorial congress. They wed in 1983. In 1985, they entered the College for Officer Training in the Western Territory as a part of the Messengers of Peace Session and were commissioned in 1987.
They were first appointed to the School for Officer Training staff in the Western Territory with special responsibilities to work in the Hispanic Track Program. During this time their two children, Caleb and Hannah, were born.
In 1991, Rhode and Doug began three and a half years of service in the South America East Territory. Following this they returned to the Western Territory, serving two and a half years as corps officers of the Hollywood Temple Corps.
In 1997, they became the Human Resources development officers for Latin America and the Caribbean, attached to the Americas and Caribbean Department of International Headquarters. In 1999, still carrying that appointment, they assumed additional roles as the leaders of the Training College of the Latin America North Territory. As a third appointment, Rhode was also named the territorial education secretary.
The Danielsons became leaders of the Costa Rica Division in 2002, and in 2004 they moved to the Territorial Headquarters of the Latin America North Territory, Rhode as the territorial secretary for women’s ministries.
A transfer to the Mexico Territory came in 2006, with Rhode the director of women’s ministries for the Capital Division (central Mexico).
In 2008 they returned to the Western Territory as leaders of the Southwest Division. It was from this appointment that Rhode was promoted to Glory. In each of her appointments, Rhode fulfilled her ministry as a Salvation Army officer: pastor, encourager, mentor, leader and friend.
Rhode will be remembered as a loving mother and wife, a devoted servant of others and a gifted Salvation Army officer. In her Bible, she had marked Psalms 90:12 (TLB), Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should. And dated June 12, 2010, she had underlined Happy are those who long to be just and good, for they shall be completely satisfied (Matt. 5:6 TLB), adding in the margin, “My greatest desire.” Today she stands in the presence of her Lord, completely satisfied.
A celebration of life service took place Aug. 17 at Southwest Divisional Headquarters with a message by Colonel Olin Hogan, and another is planned in Southern California at the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps on Aug. 28.
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