The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-08-20
Lent |. Rice Passes to the BeyOnd.


terIoon, after funeral services con-
Quoted by the only living uncle of the
deceased, Rev. Joel b. Rice, from the
Baptist church. He was given Ma
sonic burial of which fraternity he had
long been member
Mr.. Rice was a son of Greek P. Rice
and first saw the light of day in No
vember, 1889, not far from Cascilla.
and had lived practically all his life
within a few miles of where he was
born. He had the distinction of twice
filling the Office of sheriff of his county.
q place that his father had himself
filled most creditably for several terms.
Outside Of the duty of a newspaper
to give public notice of the passing
away of people known to its vicinity, It
has another duty in such matters, and
that is holding aloft the lives of those
who have been marked with distinction
as an example to the young and those
who are soon to assume the duties of
citizenship. In fact newspaper fails
to utilize an opportunity that is laid at
its door when it does not ernblazon the
pathway of the world with the virtues
of those who have finished their course.
Mr.. Rice was almost as we'll known
in Grenada as he was in his own coun-
ty, indeed he was man of statewide
reputation. He had many close friends
and some near relatives in this county.
He was very dear friend of the
writer; no man ever had truer friend.
There was nothing that he would not
have done for US and whatever the
writer had or could do Mr.. Rice knew
was at his command. In a relation
ship OF many years, We never found
him wanting. Whatever he said that
he was true to perform. We dealt
with each other without any reserva-
ti0ns. Only a few weeks before his
death he told US, 81 have had no secrets
from you There was joy in his as
sOciatiOn and companionship that be-
tokened light and splendor that
came from realms beyond this sphere.
Our faith in him was abiding, absolute.
There are many other things that are
in our heart and that we might give
expression to but they are too sacred to
commit to public print.
Celestial happiness when e'er she
stoops
To visit the earth, one shrine the God
dess finds.
And one alone, to make her sweet
amends
For absent heaven the bosom of a
. friend, X ..,ss.-ss -ss.s =
Where heart meets heart.
Each others pillow to repose divine. !"
In our home his memory is sacred, he
meant much to every member of our
household.
He had large circle of friends. He
opened his heart to humanity. ''None
can be FRIEND that is not good. "
There was tenderness about him that
always prompted ready response to
the sorrowing and the needy. The
poor and the distressed knew that they
always had friend in Lent Rice. "As
oft as ye did it unto one of the least of
these ye did it unto me" rarely found
audible expression in him, but his deeds
showed that he lived it. He always
bowed in reverence to the Christian re-
ligion and the church and close to these
he placed the virtues of true woman
hood.
When his children were small his first
wife died and thus the double response
bility of father and mother devolved
upon him, but in this, as in all other
things, he met the duty wisely and
well. He let nothing come in the way
of the advancement and the care of his
children. There are three children, two
sens and one daughter, as result OF
his second marriage. The youngest
child is about nine years old, and con-
sequently unable to fully comprehend
his duty or to understand his father &
love for him, but the other seven re-
garded their fathers word as law and
they accepted his mandates with a res
ignation that mark them as worthy
sons and daughters of great father.
Mr.. Rice was a man of wonderful
resources. He had grasp of matters
that nature has given to but few. He
was able to cope with the most learned
and the most astute. His abundance
of common sense was Unlimited. He
was a safe counselor, wise builder
and an exceptional man when it came
to execution. There was scarcely any
field or realm where his talents did not
shine resplendently.
He was aggressive and positive ir
the interests of his friends or for any
cause he undertook to espouse. There
was never any difficulty in locating
Lent Rice in regard to public men ano
measures.
He carried sunshine and good cheer
wherever he went. Hope, radiance and
belief in the better things of life fol.
lowed just as certainly in his wake as
light in the pathway of the rays of the
morning sun.
He will be missed by those who have
been wont to seek his counsel, who
have felt his glad hand, who have hac
their distresses disspated by his volun
tarily benevo!ence as well as by, the
good wife and other members of his
household who alone knew that which
was purest, best and noblest in him.
In his life there is much worthy of the
emulation of the young, much to en-
courage the cast down and to lift mer
from the low planes and put them on
the onward march to higher and more
glorious things. .;
full. It was a fitting tribute to the life
of the departed. There was the sub
lime thought from its very initial ut
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