James Huston Rice was a son of Charles E and Cornelia Mitchell Rice. He grew up in Natural Bridge. The earliest census records indicate that he was born in 1892, but I have set the 1891 date above to match his SSDI record so that persons searching on that basis will be able to find him. The 1890 date on his marker was an error.
Rice and his parents moved to Roanoke before 1920. He was a World War I veteran and a member of the Melrose Lodge #137 AF&AM. He worked for many years for Mr. Jacob Saker, who had a grocery store in Roanoke, and also lived for years in a room in Mr. Saker's home. Mr. Saker gave Rice a 1939 Chevrolet, which Rice used to buy vegetables at the Roanoke market each day and to make deliveries for the store. In 1950 Rice married Lura D. Pedigo Whitehead, and they bought a home nearby which she had been renting.
He had a very cheerful personality and told lots of stories, often about the First World War. He would sometimes read a story out loud from the Roanoke paper and comment that a young person in the story must be Mr. so-and-so's boy; he seemed to know every family in Roanoke.
In the sixties, after he and Lura had retired, he drove them on long trips around Roanoke and up Route 11 toward Natural Bridge to watch the progress of the construction of Route 81. After Lura died in 1975, Rice made frequent trips to visit her grave. At some point his car had been damaged by a neighbor boy who ran into it, and could not be repaired, so Rice frequently walked from central Roanoke to Sherwood. At times Rev. Fuller of First Baptist Church would pass him while returning from a funeral, and offer him a ride, but Rice would cheerfully refuse and continue walking; he enjoyed being out. His very long life was probably attributable in part to these long walks. He died in the Salem Veterans' Hospital on New Years' Day of 1985.
Rice and his parents moved to Roanoke before 1920. He was a World War I veteran and a member of the Melrose Lodge #137 AF&AM. He worked for many years for Mr. Jacob Saker, who had a grocery store in Roanoke, and also lived for years in a room in Mr. Saker's home. Mr. Saker gave Rice a 1939 Chevrolet, which Rice used to buy vegetables at the Roanoke market each day and to make deliveries for the store. In 1950 Rice married Lura D. Pedigo Whitehead, and they bought a home nearby which she had been renting.
He had a very cheerful personality and told lots of stories, often about the First World War. He would sometimes read a story out loud from the Roanoke paper and comment that a young person in the story must be Mr. so-and-so's boy; he seemed to know every family in Roanoke.
In the sixties, after he and Lura had retired, he drove them on long trips around Roanoke and up Route 11 toward Natural Bridge to watch the progress of the construction of Route 81. After Lura died in 1975, Rice made frequent trips to visit her grave. At some point his car had been damaged by a neighbor boy who ran into it, and could not be repaired, so Rice frequently walked from central Roanoke to Sherwood. At times Rev. Fuller of First Baptist Church would pass him while returning from a funeral, and offer him a ride, but Rice would cheerfully refuse and continue walking; he enjoyed being out. His very long life was probably attributable in part to these long walks. He died in the Salem Veterans' Hospital on New Years' Day of 1985.
James Huston Rice was a son of Charles E and Cornelia Mitchell Rice. He grew up in Natural Bridge. The earliest census records indicate that he was born in 1892, but I have set the 1891 date above to match his SSDI record so that persons searching on that basis will be able to find him. The 1890 date on his marker was an error.
Rice and his parents moved to Roanoke before 1920. He was a World War I veteran and a member of the Melrose Lodge #137 AF&AM. He worked for many years for Mr. Jacob Saker, who had a grocery store in Roanoke, and also lived for years in a room in Mr. Saker's home. Mr. Saker gave Rice a 1939 Chevrolet, which Rice used to buy vegetables at the Roanoke market each day and to make deliveries for the store. In 1950 Rice married Lura D. Pedigo Whitehead, and they bought a home nearby which she had been renting.
He had a very cheerful personality and told lots of stories, often about the First World War. He would sometimes read a story out loud from the Roanoke paper and comment that a young person in the story must be Mr. so-and-so's boy; he seemed to know every family in Roanoke.
In the sixties, after he and Lura had retired, he drove them on long trips around Roanoke and up Route 11 toward Natural Bridge to watch the progress of the construction of Route 81. After Lura died in 1975, Rice made frequent trips to visit her grave. At some point his car had been damaged by a neighbor boy who ran into it, and could not be repaired, so Rice frequently walked from central Roanoke to Sherwood. At times Rev. Fuller of First Baptist Church would pass him while returning from a funeral, and offer him a ride, but Rice would cheerfully refuse and continue walking; he enjoyed being out. His very long life was probably attributable in part to these long walks. He died in the Salem Veterans' Hospital on New Years' Day of 1985.
Rice and his parents moved to Roanoke before 1920. He was a World War I veteran and a member of the Melrose Lodge #137 AF&AM. He worked for many years for Mr. Jacob Saker, who had a grocery store in Roanoke, and also lived for years in a room in Mr. Saker's home. Mr. Saker gave Rice a 1939 Chevrolet, which Rice used to buy vegetables at the Roanoke market each day and to make deliveries for the store. In 1950 Rice married Lura D. Pedigo Whitehead, and they bought a home nearby which she had been renting.
He had a very cheerful personality and told lots of stories, often about the First World War. He would sometimes read a story out loud from the Roanoke paper and comment that a young person in the story must be Mr. so-and-so's boy; he seemed to know every family in Roanoke.
In the sixties, after he and Lura had retired, he drove them on long trips around Roanoke and up Route 11 toward Natural Bridge to watch the progress of the construction of Route 81. After Lura died in 1975, Rice made frequent trips to visit her grave. At some point his car had been damaged by a neighbor boy who ran into it, and could not be repaired, so Rice frequently walked from central Roanoke to Sherwood. At times Rev. Fuller of First Baptist Church would pass him while returning from a funeral, and offer him a ride, but Rice would cheerfully refuse and continue walking; he enjoyed being out. His very long life was probably attributable in part to these long walks. He died in the Salem Veterans' Hospital on New Years' Day of 1985.
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