Mary Elizabeth Rice

Mary Elizabeth Betty Bartels Rice died June 1, 2009 in Arizona at the age of 91.
Born in Lemmon, S.D. on Feb. 14, 1918 to Oswald and Edna Gordon Bartels, she grew up in Aberdeen, S.D. graduating from Northern States Teachers College in 1940. She taught English and Business in Faulkton, lsabel and Java, S.D. In 1943 she married Alan L. Rice and later lived in Sioux Falls, SD and Fargo, ND when he was assistant director and director of the Veterans Administration Hospitals.
1n 1975 they retired to Star Lake, MN and Sun City, AZ.
A life-long Democrat, Mary was also active in the Episcopal church, Habitat for Humanity, various environmental groups and the Church of Religious Science. She was vice-president of her condo association in Sun City West in the 1990s. Interests in her lifetime ranged widely from contributing wisdom and humor to the lives of her family, to history, genealogy, reading, astrology, tai chi, and Presidential politics. She particularly enjoyed her reunions with college friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband Alan in 1992, her sister Jane and brother-in-law Gene Haldeman, and granddaughter Stacey.
She is survived by her three children, Nancy Ron McClellan, White Bear Lake, MN and Sun City West, AZ; Bob, Sun City, AZ; Joan, Rio Rancho, NM, grandchildren Ana, Janet, and Kevin, great grandchildren Zach and Nikki, and nieces and nephews.
A memorial will be held Saturday, June 13 at 11 am at Menke Funeral Home, 12420 N. 103′d Ave. Sun City, AZ 85351. Interment will be later at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, St. Paul, MN. Memorials can be made to Habitat for Humanity.

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