Charles Lane Rice (1827 - 1903)

Born 22 Oct 1827 in Trucksville, Kingston Township, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, United States

Husband of Ann Louise (Wells) Rice — married 21 Sep 1852 in Springfield Hollow, Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States

Descendants

Died 23 May 1903 at age 75 in Cortland, Cortland, New York, United States

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Biography

James Lane Rice, born at Trucksville, Pa. October 22, 1827, became an enrolled student at Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Pa., in 1844, on the first day that this institution began its function. It was there that he met his wife, Ann Louise Wells, who was a daughter of Rev. James L. Wells and of his wife, M. Louisa, whose obituary is in the Official Minutes, Wyoming conference, 1890. Ann Louisa was born in Wyalusing, Pa. January 23, 1831, and was married to Mr. Rice September 21, 1852, at Springfield Hollow, Pa.

As a youth of eleven, Charles Lane Rice was baptized early in 1839 by Rev. W. Round of Trucksville, and joined the Methodist Episcopal church when a young boy. According to Mr. Rice's obituary in the Northern Christian Advocate, "He taught first school at Stony Brook, near Light Street, Columbia Co., Pa., next at Newtown, near Wilkes Barre, and then the primary department at Wyoming Seminary. He was licensed to exhort in 1847, entered the itinerary in 1849, joined Oneida Conference in 1850, and was ordained deacon by Bishop Levi Scott at Carbondale in 1852. He was ordained elder by Bishop Janes in 1854 at Waverly, N.Y. His middle name, - Lane,- was given by George Lane, who was one of the agents of the Book Concern and an intimate friend of his father.

"During his whole ministry he was a frequent contributor of the Northern, and was the personal friend and valued adviser and friend of the present managing editor". (1903)

One of his articles elicited comment from Mrs. Charlotte Ann (Mumford) Dann in March, 1897, who refers to "a Northern Christian Advocate from my Uncle Charles. He had a very interesting article on 'the long ago of old Luzerne'. He talked about Grandpa ice, and of the camp meetings and conferences held there..."

Mr. Charles Wells Rice writes that ill health placed his father for fifteen years on the supernumerary or superannuated list of preachers. Then he regained his health sufficiently to fill four pastorates before final retirement.

When he died on May 23, 1903, at Cortland, N.Y., where he had spent his years of retirement with his daughter, Mrs. Noah Horace Gillette, he was the last of the original members of the Wyoming Conference, which had been organized fifty years earlier. His charges had included Bethany and Mt. Pleasant, Lackawaxen, Springville, Newton, Northmoreland, Hawley, Waymart, Carverton, Plymouth Dunmore, Paupack, North Fenton and New Ohio, and Lanesboro, Pa. Among other offices which he had held in the Wyoming Conference was that of vice-president of the Sunday School Union.

His obituary mentioned above refers to a meeting at which there was sung "an original hymn composed by Brother Rice, who was also the leader of the service. It was a delightful occasion, and though he seemed feeble, we little thought that so soon would he realize the full meaning of the last verse of the hymn:

Our treasures rich in heaven

Await our coming there,

The Master's gone before us

Our mansions to prepare;

The final Christian service

We'll soon be called to give,

And at the Master's bidding,

We'll cease to work and live."

The Rev. Charles Lane Rice is buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, N.Y. His wife's death also was at Cortland, on September 22, 1902.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Newberry, F. C. The Family of Elisha Cook printed by author (1938). Pages 154-155