Elmer Rudolph "Toad" Winstead

NASHVILLE – Elmer Rudolph Winstead entered this world on September 12, 1934, welcomed by Wade Elmer and Annie Boone Winstead at their Elm City, NC farm. From the start, Rudolph brought love, joy and music to his family.

Growing up on the farm instilled in Rudolph a strong work ethic. Picking cotton and “barnin’ ‘backer” with a one-horse plow was hard, but he was a resilient worker with strong hands and a tender heart. He was a man of commitment.

His father gifted him a Harmony guitar for about $12, promising a better one if he learned to play it well. Rudolph did just that. His junior high band even landed LIVE shows on the local radio station. This passion led to regular performances with bands at The Packhouse Jamboree and on WNCT-TV in Greenville, alongside his talented sister, Barbara Jean, whose piano skills took her to the West Coast. He was a man of music.

In the early ‘50s, after a square dance performance, Rudolph’s life changed forever. He spotted a young girl on Clara Ann Gilbert’s porch and vowed to win her heart. “If there was ever such a thing as love at first sight it was when I saw Betty Rose,” he would say. “It’s her world; I just live in it. She was the one for me.” He was a man forever in love.

After a three-year courtship, Rudolph and Betty Rose married in 1957. “The reason my pretty head of hair is now gone,” he would joke, “is because I would get tired of kissing Betty Rose. She kept pulling me back. I realized every time she pulled me back, she was leaving with a handful of hair. So I had to keep on kissing!” Their 63-year marriage was, as friends and family observed, “a love affair for the ages”—one that grew until Betty’s homegoing in 2021.

While working a 43-year career at the railroad, Rudolph rededicated his life to the Lord. He and Betty Rose were asked by Rev. Johnnie Bradley to direct the youth choir at Calvary Baptist Church in Rocky Mount. For seven rewarding years, the Winsteads mentored over 70 young people, leading the choir on East Coast tours and inspiring them with Gospel songs like “Gentle Shepherd” and “Caught Up Together.” Their home was always open, and the sweet fellowship of students filled it beautifully with singing around the piano and laughter around the kitchen table.

Shortly before their fifteenth anniversary, they welcomed their daughter, Celeste. Their home was filled with love and Gospel music, and the three began singing together on the drive home from a Gospel singing a few years later.

From quartets and cantatas to countless harmonies around the piano, Rudolph, affectionately known as “Toad,” was renowned for his smooth, powerful voice. He enjoyed playing league bowling, was respected for his railroad work ethic and exemplified servant leadership to his family and as a deacon at Calvary Baptist. He lived his faith openly and loved Betty Rose and Celeste sacrificially.

“Toad” brightened every room. He was honest, authentic, dry-witted and affable with an always-open door, sharing heartwarming stories about the loves of his life: Betty Rose, Celeste and music. He was always punctual, ready to “get things done.” Humble in spirit and strong in character, he mirrored Jesus’s unconditional love as a father, his arms always open wide.

And he was always ready to sing. “Sing it out loud!” he would encourage his choir. “I’m not all that good. I’m just loud,” he’d modestly say. What songs he must be singing now as heaven has gained a new choir member. The angels must be smiling as “Toad” shares his redemption story in song—a story he SANG and LIVED—loudly for the world to enjoy.

“Toad” is survived by his daughter, Celeste Winstead, of Nashville, NC; sister, Barbara Jean Rose, of Costa Mesa, CA; brother-in-law, Romie Herring, of Raleigh, NC; Renee, Randy and Elana Griffin, family-in-love of Nashville, NC; Miranda and Peyton Currin, family-in-love, of Rocky Mount, NC; numerous cousins; and countless friends, students and neighbors enriched by his influence.

A Funeral Service to celebrate Toad’s life will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2025, at 3:00 PM at Calvary Baptist Church, 505 S. Englewood Drive, Rocky Mount, NC 27804 with Pastor Brandon Dees & Royce Williams officiating. Visitation with the family will be following the service in the sanctuary of Calvary Baptist Church until 5:30 PM.

A committal service will be held on Monday, February 10, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Rocky Mount Memorial Park, 4454 Dortches Blvd. Rocky Mount, NC 27804.

Flowers are welcome.

Arrangements entrusted to Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1130 N. Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. You may share memories and condolences with the family by visiting www.wheelerwoodlief.com.