Osage County, Oklahoma, Obituary:  VIRGIL N. RICE

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joann Brazee
Osage County News Service (OCNS)
http://ocns.freeyellow.com/
Email: ocns@hotmail.com
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VIRGIL N. RICE

OCNS - May 6, 2002 - Virgil N. Rice, 74, longtime resident of Fairfax, 
Oklahoma, and the "Big Bend" area of the Arkansas River, passed away 
Saturday morning, May 4, 2002, at his home.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 7, 2002, at the 
First Osage Baptist Church of Fairfax with Reverend Robert Glasgow and 
Reverend Charles Welch presiding.   Interment will be in the Fairfax 
Cemetery under the direction of the Hunsaker-Wooten Funeral Home of Fairfax. 

Mr. Rice was born May 8, 1927 in the Big Bend community west of Ralston, 
Oklahoma, the son of Ernest Rice and Daisy (Rainey) Rice.   He received his 
early education at the Belford School in the Big Bend, later attending and 
graduating from Burbank (Oklahoma) High School in 1946.   He was married to 
Helen Foust on September 2, 1950 in Fairfax.   Mr. Rice was engaged in 
farming and ranching in the Big Bend community for fifty-two years.

Through the years Mr. Rice was recognized for his conservation practices, 
receiving the Goodyear, Chevron and Dupont award for the State of Oklahoma 
as well as the Governor's Award.   He served on the Osage County Excise and 
Equalization board, representing Western Osage County.   He served many 
years as a precinct worker in the Big Bend area.   At the time of his death 
he was serving as a member of the Osage county Farm Services Agency Board.

Mr. Rice taught Sunday School, drove the church bus and served as a deacon 
at the First Baptist Church of Ralston for many years, later moving to 
Fairfax, where he served as deacon and taught the men's Sunday School class 
at the First Osage Baptist church.   He was a loving and giving husband, 
dad and grandpa.   He was a compassionate and kind man, always extending a 
helping hand whenever needed.   He was well known and loved and will be 
sorely missed.

Survivors include:   His wife, Helen of the home; one son, Rick Rice and 
wife, Barbara, of Fairfax; two grandsons, Tyler Rice and Caleb Rice, both 
of Fairfax; one brother, Elmer Rice and wife, Ruby, of Fairfax; two sisters, 
Hazel Guthrie of Fairfax and Dean Littlestar and husband, Al of Georgetown, 
Texas; two sisters-in-law, Maxine Rice of Ralston and Waunetia Sanders of 
Eufaula, Oklahoma; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.   He was 
preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Ethel Freeman and one brother, 
Orlean Rice.

Casket bearers will be Ralph Dooley, Harvey Myers, Bill Southern, Ben 
Bradley, Greg Anderson and Kendall Richardson,   Honorary casket bearers 
will be Junior Morris, Steve Gates, Ed Gates, Charles Crabtree, Barry 
Keeler, Jim Stingley and Wayne Rhoades.

Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Virgil Rice to the First 
Osage Baptist Church, 236 South Main, Fairfax, Oklahoma   74637.