Orville Rice 1932-2020

Orville Rice 1932-2020

Orville Rice Jr., Ohn-Wah-Sah, 87, of Mayetta, died Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, at Colmery-O’Neil VA Hospital in Topeka.

He was born Oct. 18, 1932, at Mayetta, the son of Orville Rice Sr. and Elsie Wahwassuck Rice.

Mr. Rice was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Korean War. In his early years he had worked in construction and manual labor jobs. He retired from Haskell Indian Nations University after 30 years.

He was a member of the Native American Church and We-Ta-Se American Legion Post 410 at Mayetta.

He married Betty Mahkuk in 1957. She survives.

Other survivors include two sons, Chris Rice, Nedrow, N.Y., and Calvin Masqua, Lawrence; three daughters, Shirley Rice, Oskaloosa, Sylvia Johnson, Mayetta, and Jeanette Little Sun, Hoyt; three brothers, Raymond “Butch” Rice, Topeka, Larry Wahweotten, Augusta, and Ronald Wahweotten, Mayetta; three sisters, Cheryl Wahweotten Walker, Mayetta, Lorene “Snooks” Wahweotten, Denver, Colo., and Elizabeth Bartlett, Topeka; 15 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three sons, Bradley Rice, Cleo Masqua and Kevin Rice; two brothers, Edward Wahweotten and Jeffrey Rice; and six sisters, Lavina Olsen, Sammye Starkey, Sylvia Rice, Inez Dodds, Claudette Masqua and Mary Brown.

Native American Church services were held Saturday evening, Sept. 19 at the Native American Church west of Mayetta. Burial with military honors was held Sunday afternoon in Mahkuk Cemetery. Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Hoyt is in charge of arrangements.

The Holton Recorder

109 W. Fourth St.
Holton, KS 66436
Phone: 785-364-3141
 

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