Elsie Ruby Rice, age 94, of McHenry, formerly of Ottawa, passed away Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at JourneyCare Hospice in Barrington, IL.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Ottawa with Reverend David Daniel officiating. Burial will follow in Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. Monday morning at the church. Gladfelter Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rice was born January 30, 1920 in Ottawa to Fred and Maude (Snedden) Buehler. She married Richard Rice May 9, 1943 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ottawa, IL. He preceded her in death September 23, 2005. Elsie is survived by two sons, James (Barb) Rice of Broken Arrow, OK, and Jerry (Nancy) Rice of Cary, IL; four grandchildren, Christopher Rice, Sharon (Steve) Snow, Laura (Paul) Valaitis, and Janet (Andrew) Vance; six great grandchildren, Anna and Claire Snow, Julia, Amelia, and William Valaitis, and Madeline Vance; and several nieces and nephews, including her special nieces, Judy (Chuck) Love and Julie (Paul) Strehl. Also surviving are several great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Rice, her parents, a brother, Arthur John Buehler, and a sister, Evelyn Buehler.
Elsie was a lifelong member of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and retired from Illinois Bell Telephone Company after many years. She enjoyed spending time with her great grandchildren and watching movies and the Cubs.
Memorials may be directed to Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ottawa or JourneyCare Hospice in Barrington, Il. To share a memory or sign the guestbook, please visit www.gladfelterfuneralhome.com or Gladfelter Funeral Home on Facebook.
Elsie is laid to rest in the Garden of the Ten Commandments.