The Rice family and the territory of Kansas

From 1858 to 1926, a period of 48 years, Kansas was essentially the “home state” for our Rice family. 

Our immigrant ancestors, Edmund and Thomasine Rice, arrived on the United States continent in Massachusetts about 1638, possibly Sudbury. Through a period of nine or ten generations the family migrated from eastern Massachusetts, through New York, and on into Kansas, arriving some two hundred years later, in 1858. The first to arrive in this prairie state when it was just beginning to find its rightful place in our nation was Julia Martha [Potter] Rice along with her mother Julia Geraldine [Turner] Potter, and her two sons Edward and Francis.

Julia in an autobiography describes the move.

Julia’s autobiography

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.

     My cousin Armina Turner, spent a year with me and when I left Logansport I accompanied her to her father’s home in Janesville, O., where I spent ten months and united with the Market St. church, Rev. L. G. Leonard, pastor.  I returned to Logansport and took Eddie, who had remained with his father, and proceeded to Fond du Lac, Wis. whither my uncle had removed.  When I left Logansport my mother’s home was with cousin Mary Wilson until her death, Sept 18, 1854.  In the spring of 1856 my mother came to uncle’s.  In the spring of 1857 she with myself and two children went to Belleville, Canada, and spent sixteen months with Aunt Pamelia 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; 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.

Francis married Rose Heiz Hefty in Valley Falls, Kansas and their three children, Edna, Zelda, and Leslie, were born in the State. At the beginning of the 20^th century, Francis retired from the ministry and the entire family removed to a small farm in northwestern Arkansas. 

In 1912 Leslie Rice and his new wife, Grace Rich Rice, moved to Garnett, Kansas, and then onto several other locations as Leslie changed administrative positions. In this state, four of their five children were born.

In 1926 Leslie and Grace and the four children left Kansas and moved to Sherwood, North Dakota where their youngest child, Lawrence, was born. Leslie and Grace did not renew their residence in Kansas, and never left North Dakota. Both are buried at Mott, North Dakota.  Our Rice family has since remained expatriates to the state of Kansas.

Kansas

A)    Oskaoosa (as of 2010 population was 1113):
Julia Martha Rice, her mother Julia G. Potter, and her two sons, Edward and Francis moved to Oskaloosa in 1860. Here Julia Martha built a house and settled in as a teacher.  The same year her son Eddie died of typhoid fever and is buried in the Pleasant View Cemetery.

B)    Topeka (as of 2010 population was 127 473):
Julia Martha Rice
- Mother to Francis Jay Rice. Moved to Topeka from Oskaloosa, Kansas in 1865 together with her mother Julia G. Potter and her son Francis Jay Rice.
- Francis Jay Rice studied at Washburn College where he received his ministerial degree. He moved from Topeka in 1876 to become a minister at Valley Falls, Kansas (C).
- Julia G. Potter died in Topeka in 1875 and was buried at Pleasant View Cemetery in Oskaloosa beside her grandson Eddie Rice.

- Dorothy Frances Rice, daughter of Leslie and Grace Rice was born in Topeka on March 28, 1915

C)    Valley Falls (as of 2010 population was 1192)::
- Francis J. Rice began his ministry at the Baptist Church in 1877.
- Rose Heiz Hefty moved here with her foster family from New Glarus, Wisconsin in 1866. Here she met Francis Rice in 1876, and they were married in the Baptist Church in 1880. In 1882 they moved to Augusta, Kansas.

D)    Augusta (as of 2010 population was 9274): Edna Rice (June 3, 1883) and Zelda Rice (June 7, 1885) were born in Augusta.

E)     Salem (as of 2010 population was 249): Leslie Francis Rice was born here on March 7, 1889. This is very likely in error. Salem as his birthplace is mentioned in the obituary for Leslie Rice, as well as in notes belonging to Virginia Rice Bohn. Topeka is named as his birthplace in Leslie’s application to study at U. of North Dakota and also in his draft notice.  I assume that the info in the obit comes from Virginia who was probably in error. The birthdate is, however, correct.

F)     Francis Jay Rice, Rose Rice, and their three children moved to a small farm north of Siloam Springs, Arkansas. It was here that Leslie met his wife, Grace Rich, who lived several miles east of the farm. Francis and Rose are buried in Siloam Springs

G)    Ottawa (as of 2010 population was 12 649): Leslie F. Rice achieved his Bachelor of Science degree at Ottawa University. Graduated in 1911

H)    Garnett, Kansas (as of 2010 population was 3415). Leslie and Grace Rice moved here in 1912. Here was their first residence in Kansas. Leslie taught school here from 1912 to 1914

I)       McDonald (as of 2010 population was 160):  Franklin Jay Rice was born here on May 19, 1918. Leslie Rice was superintendent of schools here from 1916 to 1919

J)       Norcatur (as of 2010 population was 151): Virginia Rice was born here Oct. 7, 1920. Leslie Rice was superintendent of schools here from 1919 to 1921

K)    Colby (as of 2010 population was 5387):  Mildred Rose Rice was born here on Jan. 18, 1923. Leslie F. Rice was superintendent of schools here from 1921 to 1924

Take The Time

Recently I received a package of photos and mementoes from my Uncle Joe Ebertz. In his kindness, he sent the package to me in case the enclosed items might be of value towards researching the Rice family history.  The intention was confirmed by the contents which consisted of several photo albums, some letters, and numerous loose pictures, all once owned by our grandfather Leslie Rice and later preserved with care by our Aunt Millie Ebertz. 

However, much to my disappointment, nothing within the package was dated, or identified. And even though everything was preserved with care, all is pretty much unusable, except maybe for general historical reasons.  Very little contributes to remembering our Rice family members of the past.

The pictures mounted by Granddad Rice are all to naught. He didn’t take the time to label, date, or name them.  And yet, these must have been important to him. And they certainly would have helped us to better describe and remember our Grandfather.

I won’t destroy these.  Everything will be passed on. Until, someday, someone will ask the question “why?”

Our memories are neither permanent, nor decipherable to others unless put on paper or recorded on some device. What we remember, what we have experienced, that which was a part of our lives, both important and trifle will be long gone if it is not preserved for the future.

Just the other day, while browsing through the internet in search of long lost relatives, I ran across this silly little poem.  Silly in the sense that it doesn’t have poetic literary recognition, and probably never will. But it sends a message, to you and me.

Strangers in the Box 

By Pamela A. Harazim

Come, look with me inside this drawer, 

In this box I've often seen, 

At the pictures, black and white, 

Faces proud, still, serene. 

I wish I knew the people, 

These strangers in the box, 

Their names and all their memories 

Are lost among my socks. 

I wonder what their lives were like.

How did they spend their days? 

What about their special times? 

I'll never know their ways. 

If only someone had taken time 

To tell who, what, where, when, 

These faces of my heritage 

Would come to life again. 

Could this become the fate

Of the pictures we take today? 

The faces and the memories 

Someday to be tossed away? 

Make time to save your pictures, 

Seize the opportunity when it knocks, 

Or someday you and yours could be

The strangers in the box.

A sad truth is reflected by this poem. Granddad Leslie Rice’s pictures have now become  “strangers in the box”.

Take the time… record what we remember.  It’s easy. Use a video camera or a cell phone and record things you remember from times past.  Going to school, a school teacher, a childhood friend, your home and house, going swimming, graduation, your  first job, your mom, your dad….. the possibilities are endless.  The value is beyond measurement.

Source:
The poem is copywrited by © 1997 by Pamela A. Harazim.