Doris Rice Obituary

Doris Lee (Franklin) Rice, 82, of Riesel, our beloved wife, mother, sister-in-law, aunt and grandmother went to be with the Lord Feb. 25, 2008, surrounded by her loving family. Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at Pecan Grove Funeral Home in Waco with Bro. Reggie Blake officiating. Burial will follow at Riesel Cemetery. Doris was born March 23, 1925, to Isaac and Mandy Franklin in Fairfield, Texas. She married G. H. "Rooster" Rice on June 12, 1943, in Riesel, and resided in Waco where she gave birth to their first daughter, Donna Raye Rice, of Riesel, Sept. 24, 1945. The family moved to Tyler, Texas, where she gave birth to their second daughter, Cherry Olivia (Rice) Skinner, Feb. 25, 1957. They moved from Tyler to Watt, Texas, where they bought and ran a successful dairy farm. There she helped with all the daily dairy chores as well as being a housewife and mother. The family moved from Watt to Riesel, to take over the existing family dairy of Mr. George Rice. There the family put down roots for all generations to come. She worked side be side with G.H. and her daughters, turning a little dairy farm into a successful business. She was up early enough to get breakfast and up late at night making sure everyone had clean clothes and a hot meal for the next days labor. She never complained or shied away from a hard days work. As the years past the family grew larger and grandchildren arrived, and she became known to all family and friends as "BIGMAMA." She was extremely active in the First Baptist Church of Riesel for as long as she was able to do the Lords work. She was the Young Married Women's teacher at the church, participated in extracurricular activities, traveled on many mission trips and served with several vacation Bible schools in the "Valley" of Texas. After retiring from the dairy business in 1985, she, G.H. and Donna joined the Heart of Texas R.V. Club. They traveled with this group all over Texas and the United States, living and loving every single mile. They also took trips with their closest friends and family to where ever the road took them. She was preceded in death by her parents, six siblings, and several cousins, aunts and uncles. She is survived by her husband, G.H. Rice; daughters, Donna Rice, and Cherry Skinner and husband, Neil; brother, Garland Franklin of Riesel; grandchildren, Travis Skinner, Lindsey Oden, Clayton Skinner, and Jayme Sims; two loving brothers-in-law; three sisters-in-law, as well as several nieces and nephews. She may now REST IN PEACE. Pallbearers will be Trina Lusk, Heath Vanek, Justin Shaw, Bud Owen, Brandon "Bur" Hoelscher, Justin Lehreman, Travis Skinner and Clayton Skinner. Honorary pallbearers will be Curt Fitzpatrick, John Davis, Jimmy Thompson, Artie Howlett, John Grube, James Suttle, Johnny Glenn Skinner and Mike Skinner. March 23, 1925 -February 25, 2008 Sign the Guest Book at www.wacotrib.com