Written by Velma Rose Smith

We don’t know much of the Rice family. The first I find is that Solomon Joel Rice of Herkimer County, N.Y. and Miss Diana Aull of Montgomery County N.Y. were married August 28, 1833. When they came to Charleston Twp, we don’t know. Who kept a list of children born to them, I don’t know, but from a mixup of notes of births and deaths, I sorted these out.

Solomon Joel Rice was born Sept. 20, 1805, died Oct. 21, 1860 Diana Aull Rice was born March 3 1813, died Dec. 8 1863

1. Solomon Nathaniel Rice born Jan. 13, 1835, died Oct. 3 1884
2. Peter Henry Rice born April 2, 1836, died Dec. 15, 1837
3. Hannah Lucretia Rice born Sept. 3, 1837, died Dec. 29, 1889
4. Lydia Matilda Rice (Smith)born Sept 11,1839, died May 15, 1911
5. Henry Tyres Rice born Jan 2, 1841
6. George W. Rice born July 25, 1842
7. Miles D. Rice born April 11, 1844
8. Rosetta B. Rice (Douglas) born July 4, 1845
9. Lucretia or Clarrie Diana Rice born May 14, 1847, died August 2, 1861
10. John Otis Rice born Oct. 3, 1848
11. Sylvester Webb Rice born Nov.29, 1850
12. Elcia Rice (Zimmer) born Feb. 2, 1853, died May 9 1912
13. Prudence Matia born Jan 14, 1855, died Jan. 26, 1855
14. Netta Adela Rice born Sept. 1, 1856, died Feb. 29, 1861

And the following from a newspaper clipping– “In Charleston, on the inst. of dropping, Mrs. Diana Rice, relic of S.J. Rice, age 50 years, 9 months, 5 days, Dec. 8 1863. The deceased left a family of 10 children, to mourn her loss. One is in the Army. Thus in three brief years, Father, Mother, and 2 children have been torn from the family circle. Sermon on the occasion by the writer, J. Ingerick.”

On March 6, 1862, when Lydia M. was 23 years old, she married Fulton Smith, as his 2nd wife. On Jan. 30, 1863 their son Henry Edwin was born, weighing only 3 lbs. On March 2, 1865 their daughter Jennie Orline was born. Fulton received his call for the Army, and had to leave her, and the babies, on the farm. He was away for about 6 months as the War ended. Another son Leonard Egbert was born on July 28, 1867, when he was 10 years old he died of typhoid fever. He died Nov. 26, 1877.

The wife of Gerould Smith, Fulton’s son by his first wife, died and left a son, Leonard E. Smith, born August 10, 1879. Lydia and Fulton raised Leonard E.

In June of 1877, a neighbor died giving birth to a daughter. Lydia and Fulton took the baby, named Gracie, and she was a joy to them, until she suddenly died March 29, 1878. Gracie Thomas Smith. Lydia was a semi-invalid the last year of her life, she died May 15, 1911, age 72. Find descendants under “Smith History”.

Henry Rice born Jan. 2, 1841, at age 69, he was living in Rose City, Ogeman County, Michigan, Dec. 17, 1909. He sent a picture of his house there, to Aunt Jen and Uncle Will Marsh.

Elcia Rice, born Feb. 2, 1853, married Zirnmers. A son, Ward, was born March 20, 1877. Elcia’s mind went bad when he was a little boy and his father took him west. He was back in 1915 and visited relatives here, from his home in Joplin, Mo. when he was 38 years old. She lived some years with Lydia, when Aunt Jen was a young girl. She died May 9, 1912

Solomon Nathaniel Rice married Catherine Moore and had:

1. Mary, married a Morgan
   1. Clifford (which was the boy Aunt Jen and Uncle Will March raised)
   2. Hattie
2. Eva married Wilson Apgar
   1. Ray married Bernice
      1. Dorothy married Howard Johnston
         1. Linda married David Jones
         2. Sandra married Duane Starkweather
            1. Debbie
            2. Sally
            3. Carol
            4. Doug
         3. Laverne died at age 30 years, single, 1973
         4. Diana married George Ducheman
            1. Stephanie
         5. John married Barbara
         6. Michael married Julia Horning
      2. William married Genevieve Rice
      3. Clarence
      4. Martie married Edward Wingate
3. Ira Rice
4. Hattie Rice
5. Fred Rice
6. Anna Rice
7. Pete died young of TB

Rosetta B. Rice was born July 4, 1845, died June 18, 1910 Married John Douglas, they had:

1. Frank married Grace Smith(daughter of Newton and Minnie Smith) Grace died March 27,, 1916
   1. Bertha
2. Anna married George Cruttenton
   1. Leonard died Jan 9, 1919 of flu
   2. Leila married Leon Rockwell
3. Ada married Leonard E. Smith
   1. Mable married William Boyle
      1. Shirley
      2. Gary married Paulette
         1. Ricky
   2. Basil – never married
   3. Pearl – never married
   4. Gladys – died an infant
4. Jennie married John Root
   1. Harrel (spelling?)
   2. Nina
   3. Hazel
5. Earl married Kate Spoor
   1. Floyd
   2. Bernice
6. Lloyd married Mae Whitney
   1. Thelma married Osmer Welsh
      1. Eugene
      2. adopted Donald