Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Rice, Hiram Elwyn 1919
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Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net November 20, 2010, 1:55 pm

Portland Observer, 11 Dec 1919

H. Elwyn Rice Buried here Wednesday

Sad Career Of Former Resident Comes To An End In Pontiac State Hospital.

Life’s Prospects Were At One Time Brilliant

Deceased Was Well Educated and Active Here Socially and Politically in His
Younger Days.

Hiram Elwyn Rice, son of Mrs. Mary E. Rice, brother of Charlie C. Rice, and a
man who started out in life with brilliant prospects, only to have them
pitilessly shattered by an attack of typhoid fever which brought on insanity,
died at the Eastern Michigan hospital, in Pontiac, at 5:20 Sunday afternoon. 
His remains were brought to Portland on the late train Tuesday evening and
burial took place on the Rice family lot in the Portland cemetery Wednesday
afternoon, funeral services having been held at the home of Charlie C. Rice,
brother of the deceased, Rev. Truman F. Galt, of the Congregational church,
officiating.

Mr. Rice was born in Roxand township, Eaton county, Michigan, June 8, 1864,
having been a trifle past 55 years of age at the time of his death.  He came to
Portland with his parents when he was a year old, attended school here until he
reached the eleventh grade and then attended the Universalist college, at Akron,
Ohio.  Upon returning to Portland he entered the employ of his father, the late
Napoleon B. Rice, who formerly operated the grist mill now owned by the Portland
milling Co., remaining in his father’s employ for several years.  He was popular
socially, was a charter member, former officer and active worker in the old
Knights of Pythias lodge here, and a prominent figure in democratic politics.

Then typhoid fever attacked him.  The disease hung on relentlessly for forty
days and forty nights.  When the fever left him Mr. Rice was no longer a sane
man.  This was 25 years ago.  He had been confined to the Pontiac hospital
continuously since, his case utterly hopeless.  Older residents of the town will
recall the sad circumstances vividly.  Then, on Sunday afternoon, death stepped
in to write the final chapter.

Mr. Rice’s only near relatives are the aged mother, Mrs. Mary E. Rice, and the
brother, Charlie C. Rice, prominent Portland real estate dealer.


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