Rice Family Newsletter

The following Bible records were sent to your editor about 30 years ago by Susan Murphy (Mrs. David) of Sacramento, California. She also provided the other material in this article.)

Rice Family Bible Records Date Back To 1786

(Mrs. Murphy copied the family Bible records as exactly as possible. Her comments appear in italics.)

MARRIAGES:

Johnathan Rice and Margaret Edwards was married October the 15 1807

Jacob E Rice and Ayey Ann Heflin was married March the 22 1829 (?)
(This really looks like 1829 but I sent for the marriage record from Knox County and it was 1838.)

Aarchibald A Rice (Nothing else written after his name.)

Amelia A Rice and Charles H Remington was married September the 17th 1868

Theodore M. Jones and Mary E. Rice married Sept. 25 1871

William H Royston and Amelia A Remington married Dec. 25 1872

[Johnathan's marriage and his children's births on the following pages are all in the same ink and handwriting. Jacob's marriage and his children's births are in a different ink and what seems to be different handwriting...Theodore's marriage, William Royston 's marriage, and the death of Eliza McMurty, are written in a third handwriting. The inserted deaths of Amelia and Mary E. Rice were written by a fourth person, whom I believe to be my husband's grandmother, Bessie (Jones) Kitt.)7 be,-!-op my husband's grandmother, Bessie Jones Kitt.]

BIRTHS:

Johnathan Rice was borne March the 8 1788

Margaret Rice wife of Jonathan Rice was borne February the 20 1786

Nicholas Rice the eldest child of Jonathan and Margaret Rice was borne Nov the
17 1808

Eliza Rice was borne November the 20 1809

David Rice was borne December the 13 1811

Mariah Rice was borne February the 2 1814

Rachel Rice was borne September the 15 1816

Jacob Rice was borne February the 9 1818

Hanah Rice was borne Aprile the 29 1820

Lucinday Rice was borne February the 23 1822

Sarah Rice was borne February the 11 1824

Eleanor Rice was borne January the 17 1826

Alexander Firakes (?) Rice was borne March the 23 1828

(In second ink and handwriting)

Jacob E. Rice and Family

Ailey Ann Rice born Sept 22nd 1819
Archibald A Rice born Jany 12th 1839
Margaret E. Rice born Apr 15th 1842
Ametia A Rice born June 12th 1844 In 4th handwriting: Died Feb 29 1917 She was later
known as Amelia and called Millie.

Mary E. Rice born Feb 4th 1847 Died July l.st 1913 (4th handwriting)
Sarah E. Rice born Feb 12th 1851
Hattie C Rice born May 19th 1855
George A. Rice born March 24 1859
Alice A Rice born Jany 17th 1868

DEATHS:

Nicholas Rice Segn (Senior) died May 1809 (This is the father of Jonathan.)
Christenan Peckenpaugh died May 1814 (This is the sister of Jonathan Rice who was

married to John Peckenpaugh and died in childbirth.)
Mary Rice died May 1814 (I believe that this is the mother, of Jonathan Rice and wife of
Nicholas Senior)
David Rice died August 1818

Hanah Rice died June the 4 1822

Nicholas Rice died March the 1 1850
(All of the above in first handwriting)

Margaret wife of Jonathan Rice died Aprile 10th 1855

Jonathan Rice died Aprile 27th 1855
Sarah Elly daughter of JE and AA Rice died Aprile the 27th 1861

Eliza McMurty Rice wife of James McMurty died Sep 23rd 1879
(Nicholas Rice, who died in 1850, and Jonathan and Margaret, who died 1855, are all
buried in Knox County, Illinois.)

.

_______________________

Tucked in among the Bible pages were these obituaries:

DR. J. E. RICE

Dr. J. E. Rice, father of Mrs. T. M. Jones, died at the residence of Mr. Jones last Saturday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock.

Dr. Rice (Jacob) was born in Crawford county, Indiana. He was in the 75th year of his age when death came. By profession he was a practicing physician, although he had not been in active practice for some years. He was a man of excellent attainments and admirable qualities.

He was the father of a family of six children, who live to mourn him. The funeral was held from the residence of Mr. Jones at 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon and was attended by a large concourse of friends and acquaintances of the family.

Mrs. Ailsey Rice - Death of Aged Lady

The death of Mrs. Ailsey N. Rice occurred suddenly at the home of her daughter, Mrs. T. J. Blue, at Twin Lakes yesterday morning at 11:30. Mrs. Rice was a former resident of Leadville, and was well known in this city. The remains were brought to the home of her daughter, Mrs. T. M. Jones, on East Ninth Street, yesterday evening, and will be sent to Grand Junction for burial today.

Mrs. Rice's maiden name was Miss Ailsey Heflin. She was born in Kentucky September 25, 1819. Later she removed with her family to Indiana, locating in the little town of Rushville. She went from Rushville to Illinois, where she married Jacob E. Rice. They came to Leadville in 1879, and have lived here at intervals since. At times they made their home in Grand Junction, Boulder and Denver.

Mr. Rice died eighteen years ago, since which time the aged lady has been making her home with her children. She spent the greater part of the winter with Mrs. Jones in this city, and left for Twin Lakes last Saturday. She had not been well for several weeks, but her condition was not thought to be serious. She seemed bright and cheerful when she left here Saturday, and arose yesterday at her usual hour. Death came suddenly and quietly while she was sitting contentedly at a table. Heart failure and the infirmities of old age were the causes.

Besides Mrs. Blue at Twin Lakes and Mrs. Jones in Leadville, she had the following children: Mrs. E. B. Harlan, Mrs. Amelia Royson in Illinois and George A. Rice in New York City.

Mrs. T. M. Jones - Dies on Coast; Ends Long Illness

(The former Mary E. Rice)

Grand Junction lost another beloved pioneer lady this morning at 8:45 o'clock when Mrs. T. M. Jones of this city passed away in Stockton, Cal., at the home of her daughter, Mrs. L. J. Kitt. The immediate cause of death was heart trouble with complications.

T. M. Jones of this city left only ten days ago for his wife's bedside, to be with her during her illness; but he fully expected her to recover and live with him on the coast.

The news of the death was received this morning by Harry B. Jones of 1027 White Avenue, secretary of Grand Junction Fruit Growers Association and son of the deceased. It was a great shock in spite of the fact that he knew his mother was very ill...

The deceased was a rare character and one of the women of which the whole valley was proud to boast. She lived here for 25 years, coming west with Mr. Jones from Illinois in Knox Co. Rice 2

1888, and made her home here with the other hardy people who braved the discomforts of the then barren region that their families might prosper in a new land. She helped Grand Junction to prosper, bringing with her three stalwart and highly prized sons and one daughter. She was associated with many public enterprises, and was ever sacrificing for her loved ones for whose comfort and welfare she bore many trials. Her sons - Archie
H. Jones, manager of a big mill at Tonopah, Nev.; Harry B. Jones of this city, and Theo Jones of Tonopah, Nev.; a skilled electrician in the mines there - stand as a tribute to the splendid mother, and Mrs. Bessie Kitt, the only daughter is well known and popular here.

The deceased pioneer was born in Knox county, Ill., in 1847, and was married in 1871, many years before coming west, and was enjoying her 42nd year of married life when she heard the summons that no mortal can ignore or deny. Much might be written in commenting on the life history of Mrs. Jones.

Three months ago Mrs. Jones became too ill to long remain at this altitude and was taken to California where the hoped for benefit did not accrue and her vitality made no gain.

The funeral will be held in this city in all probability, as the remains of Mrs. Jones' parents both lie in the Orchard Mesa Cemetery and the wish of the deceased was to rest there.

NOTE TO NICHOLAS RICE DESCENDANTS

There are several descendants of Nicholas Rice among our readers. I would like to update and expand my file on this branch of the Rice family. I would be most appreciative if you could forward me a copy of your data, giving as much information as possible on your own line of descent. - Rosemary

NEXT ISSUE: Another line of descent from Nicholas Rice of Kentucky. If any other readers descend from Nicholas and can email me their line before Feb. 5, I will use it in the next issue.