Lillian Rice

Lillian Burnette Rice, age 87 passed away on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at Silver Bluff Nursing Home. A native of Haywood County, she was a daughter of the late James Henry and Phoebe Watts Burnette. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Grover Rice, who died in 2005; six brothers, Clayton, Millard, Hobert, Brownlo, Ira and Ora Burnette; and five sisters, Etta Kuykendall, Ethel Burrell, Nina Grogan, Iva Lee Stiles, and Ruby Williams. Lillian was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, friend and neighbor. She was a faithful and active church member of Canton First Baptist Church with a special love of the music ministry. She devoted over 30 years to singing in the choir. Lillian was an auxiliary volunteer at Haywood Regional Medical Center. She is survived by one son, Stephen Grover Rice and his wife, LouAnn; three daughters, Judy Rozgonyi and her husband, Jack, Linda Henson and her husband, Larry, and Jan Henson and her husband, Kenneth; one brother, Jasper Burnette; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, January 21, 2011 in the Canton Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with the Reverend Jay Meadows and the Reverend Bill McNeill officiating. Burial will follow at Beaverdam Community Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Thursday evening at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Canton First Baptist Church Music Ministry, 74 Academy Street, Canton, NC 28716.

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