Oak Hill Cemetery at Siloam Springs

Oak Hill Cemetery

Julia Martha Rice was born on July 11, 1826 in Mayville, New York, a picturesque, comfortable village on the shores of Lake Chautauqua, not too far from Lake Erie.  Julia was a devout Baptist, values and beliefs which she passed on to her only surviving son.

One can easily surmise Julia’s life as being characterized by difficulties and challenges above and beyond what most of us experience today. As a young girl, she experienced the difficulties of a psychologically disturbed father. As a young anticipatory mother, she married and then later divorced an apparently dominant, and in her mind, unbearable Gilbert Rice.  Taking her two boys in the middle of the night, first to Ohio, then Canada, and at last to frontier Kansas, Julia arrived at Oskaloosa, Kansas in 1860 only to experience the death of her oldest son Edward in October of that same year.

In a short autobiography, Julia writes:
“I was born July 11, 1826 in Mayville, Chautauqua Co. N.Y. I attended school most of my life in my native village, except the summer of 1839 when I attended the Academy in Fredonia.  The winter of ’39 – ’40 I spent with my parents at my sister’s in Logansport, Ind. Where I attended a select school.  The following fall I went with my parents on a visit to my father’s parents residing at Plymouth Hollow, Conn.  They died soon after. In the summer of 1840 my father had an attack of insanity, caused by a fall from a horse when he was (9) nine years of age.  The attack lasted six weeks.  The following year it came on earlier and lasted longer, and the same way each succeeding year till it became permanent.  He died in Utica Insane Asylum Feb. 25, 1848.

…..

In Nov. 1840 I was baptized in Chautauqua Lake by Rev. Orrion (?) Dodge and united with the Baptist church of which Mr. Dodge was pastor.

…..

On Oct 5, 1845 I was married in Mayville to Gilbert J. Rice of Logansport where I went to reside.  My marriage was an unhappy one.  I left my home March 5, 1854.  Edward Potter Rice, my oldest child was born Sept 2, 1851.  Francis Jay was born Nov. 27, 1853.

(Julia, her mother and the two boys lived in Belleville, Canada for 16 months before traveling on to her uncle’s pioneer home in Jefferson County, Kansas.)

In the spring of 1857 she with myself and two children went to Belleville Canada, and spent sixteen months with Aunt Pamela Jones (mother’s sister) and family, Uncles Gideon and Benjamin Turner’s families.  I taught school six months during our stay there.  In Oct. 1858 we came to Jefferson Co. Kansas, where my Uncle Harry was then living. In the spring of 1859, I commenced a select school in Oskaloosa.  I boarded one term in Mr Macomber’s family. Then with Mr. Benton’s family, till Jan. 1860 when I rented rooms where I kept house and taught, my mother and little boys coming from uncle’s to live with me.  I purchased lots and contracted with Mr. Benton to build a house.  We moved into it in May, 1860, where I continued teaching.

Oct. 28^th 1860 my beloved Eddie died of typhoid fever after an illness of ten days.

In 1865 I bought property in Topeka with money from my father’s estate.  We moved there Aug. 1^st.  I taught a select school four months, then in the public school a few weeks;  I was taken ill and resigned.  In the spring of 1866 I commenced keeping boarders.  I lived in Topeka Twelve years, moved to Valley Falls with Frank in 1877 Dec. 6^th. My mother died on Jan 17, 1875 and was buried in Oskaloosa by the side of Eddie.”

In a letter to be opened only upon her death, Julia wrote on her birthdays (the underlining and quotation marks are Julia’s):

On July 11, 1896
My Dear Frank,
     Today completes my threescore years and ten of life!  God has been very good to me.  He has not dealt with me in according to my sins!  “The mistakes of my life have been many, the sins of my heart have been more!”  I cannot now expect to tarry long on earth.  I hope I may not be wait with patience my appointed time to go and dwell with loved ones on the other shore.”

On July 11, 1897
Another year of my life has Gone!  I wish I may grow wiser and better as life wears away!

On July 11, 1899
Two more years of my life have passed.  May I fulfill the purpose for which my life is spent.

On July 11, 1900
Another year has passed.  I would wait patiently the days of my appointed time.  I realize my strength is growing weaker.

On July 11, 1901
Seventy five years of my life completed.  How long O LORD, terriest thou?

Julia Martha Potter Rice died at Fernbrook Farm on October 15, 1906. “Sometime we’ll understand”. 

She is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Siloam Springs.

Francis Jay Rice died at Fernbrook Farm on March 27, 1936.  He was 82 years old.

Francis was buried beside his mother in the Oak Hill Cemetery of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

According to his death certificate, Francis died of cerebral arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) leading to a hemorrhagic stroke. There was no autopsy.

Francis Jay Rice was born in Logansport, Indiana on November 27, 1853. (One of the reasons for the picture of Logansport at the beginning of this blog.)

Rose Heiz Hefty Rice died at Fernbrook Farm on March 23, 1945. She died of coronary arrest.

A view of Oak Hill Cemetery. The stones of the Rice family are side by side in the foreground. The stone for Francis Jay Rice and Rose Rice is on the left. Julia M. Rice is on the right.

The entrance to the cemetery is at the upper left-hand corner.

Sources:
Photographs by Norman W. Mills. July 2007
Obituaries are from local newspapers at Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Letter written by Julia M. Rice in regards to her death. Copies in my possession. Location of originals unknown.
Autobiography by Julia M. Rice from Autobiography by Francis J. Rice written probably in 1905.