Rufus S. RICE

Apr 4 1863 - Mar 21 1923

*Obituary
Rogers Democrat
Thursday, March 22, 1923

RICE, R.S. {Rufe} - Dr. R.S. {Rufe} Rice died last night at 7:00 o'clock at his home on South Second Street. Funeral services will be held at the Central M.E. Church Friday afternoon, March 23rd at 2 o'clock.

*Obituary
Rogers Democrat
Thursday, March 29, 1923

One of the largest funerals ever known in the history of Rogers was that of last Friday afternoon at the Central Methodist church when the body of Dr. R.S. Rice was escorted to its resting place by hundreds of friends and neighbors. As briefly stated in the Rogers Democrat of last week, Dr. Rice died at his home on South Second street at 7:30 o'clock Wednesday night, March 21st at the age of 59 years, 11 months and 16 days. He had been in failing health for several years but his condition had not been considered critical until a few weeks ago. For several days previous to his death it had been feared the end might come at any time. The Central M.E. Church was crowded with many standing and many unable to gain entrance, for the deceased was one of the most popular and best known men on this side of Benton county and friends came from many miles around to pay the last tribute to his memory. Services were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Crichlow. The Masonic orders attended in a body and besides the Rogers members there were many visiting brethren. The medical fraternity of Rogers were also present in a body. Practically all of the business houses of Rogers were closed during the hours of the funeral, 2:30 to 3:30 o'clock. Rogers people who have only known Dr. Rice during the last few years, especially since he began to fail in health, can have no idea of the important part he played in the history of Rogers for a quarter of a century. He was one of the first men of the town with whom the Democrat editor became acquainted and the friendship formed then has always continued. He was interested in everything that interested his friends, but his real loyalty was to the children - first, last and all the time. It seemed that every child in Rogers and for miles around knew him and called him by name. Especially did he father the poor and the neglected tots, and hundreds of them will remember the red letter days when he extended a helping hand by buying them necessities of life, slipped them into the shows when he found them hanging around the door on the outside, lined them up at the ice cream and candy counters, picked them up along the roadside as he was answering country calls and sympathized over their woes, be they real or imaginary. He was big and deliberate, and that easy drawl used to irritate the fellow who wanted to do something right now but the doctor never went off half-cocked and the safe plan was to allow him to do a thing in his own time and way. We shall also miss him now for while we had not seen him much during the last year or two, there was always the hope that he would eventually regain his old health and again take his place among our most active professional men and citizens. The following sketch is taken from Fay Hempstead's History of Arkansas, written in 1911, and we quote verbatim: "Dr. Rice represents one of the pioneer families of Benton county - a family, some of the members of which have become leading professional men, while others have kept to the vocation of their ancestors, that of agriculture, and all of them, no matter to what they have devoted their energies, have contributed a royal citizenship to the commonwealth in which they were reared. Dr. Rice was born in Fayetteville, Washington county, April 4, 1863, his parents having moved to that place during the War of the Rebellion. The father, although Southern in sympathy and conviction, acted as storekeeper for the Federal commissary for a time during the progress of the war period. When Rufus S. was but a child his parents returned to their first home on Pea Ridge and there their large family of children was reared. The farm on Pea Ridge came into the hands of Dr. Rice's father, Chas. W. Rice, in 1859, at which date he brought his family from McMinn county, Tennessee. This certain section was destined to acquire a pathetic and historic interest, for within three years after Mr. Rice acquired the farm it became the scene of one of the chief battles of the Civil War, namely the battle of Elkhorn, or Pea Ridge, and since that time the locality has remained a point of historic interest. Upon that spot and amid the memories which fired the blood of the high spirited youth, Rufus S. Rice reached the years of young manhood. The fulfillment of the various duties of the farm gave him breadth of frame and vigor of constitution, and the Academy at Pea Ridge afforded him his literary training. Like so many men who have eventually entered the professions he began his career as a wage earner in the honorable capacity of a school teacher, serving this for a short time. In 1883 a resolution as to his future life work materialized and he took up the study of medicine in the Missouri Medical College, but before he finished the course, which was the goal of his ambition, he engaged in medicinal practice at Brightwater, Ark., near his home. Hungering for all the available knowledge in his particular field, as soon as possible he returned to its pursuit and entered the college of Physicians and Surgeons, St. Louis, from which institution he graduated. Shortly thereafter Dr. Rice came to Rogers, his identification with the place dating from 1890, and in the ensuing decade this has been the scene of his practice. His connection with various important societies of a professional nature and the various public offices which have been entrusted to him are an eloquent testimony of the high regard in which he is held by the community. He is a member of the Benton County and the Arkansas Medical Societies; he is a member of the United States Pension Examining Board for Benton county, having also served in the same capacity during the Cleveland administration; for several years he was one of the medical examiners for Benton county and he is at the present time president of the Rogers Board of Health and of the Benton County Board of Health. He served several terms on the Rogers school board. Dr. Rice comes from a family of tried and true Democrats and is himself imbued strongly with devotion to the principles of that faith. He has no interest in politics for himself but his desire for the success of personal friends whom he believes capable of good public service, often draws him into a conflict. He is orthodox in his religion and a member of the Southern Methodist Episcopal church. His Masonic connection is one of the big things in his life and includes membership in the Pea Ridge Blue Lodge and the Bethany Commandery of Bentonville. He is also a Woodman of the World and a Maccabee. On Dec. 15, 1887 Dr. Rice was united in marriage to Miss Dorinda Puckett, a daughter of A. Puckett, who came from Tennessee to Benton county before the war. Mrs. Rice was born here and received her education in Rogers Academy and was a teacher previous to her marriage. This worthy woman passed away August 31, 1904, the mother of two daughters, Misses Pearl and Grace Rice (Mrs. Pearl Ball and Mrs. Tom McNeil, both of Rogers). On April 29, 1911 Dr. Rice was married to Miss Katharine Carr, a native of Mississippi. Dr. Rice's father, Chas. W. Rice, died in 1893 at the age of 76 while his mother lived until 1910, dying at the advanced age of 84. The children were as follows: Miller B. Rice of Pea Ridge; James A. Rice, who died at Bentonville in 1910; Mrs. I.M. Mitchell, who died in Rogers; Wilford C. Rice of Madison county; Thomas M. Rice of Avoca; Timothy S. Rice of Pea Ridge; Dr. Thomas C. Rice of Avoca; Dr. Rufus S. Rice, the subject of this sketch; Charles M. Rice, an attorney of Bentonville; Dr. Clinton A. Rice (then at Gentry but now a resident of Rogers); and Roland M. Rice, living near Brightwater." (All of the brothers were here for the funeral Friday with the exception of Miller Rice, who has been ill for some time with the flu and could not attend.)

Contributed on 1/23/13 by wfields55
Email This Contributor

Suggest a Correction

Record #: 819207

Don't Follow