Connie Rice

Connie Ruth Rice, age 67, of Riverview near Thomson, Illinois, died Tuesday, February 14, 2017 at the University of Iowa Hospitals, Iowa City, Iowa. A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, February 16, 2017 at the Law-Jones Funeral Home, Savanna.
Connie was born January 9, 1950, in the Blackhawk area, Washington Township, near Savanna, Illinois, the daughter of Elmer and Mildred (Edwards) Merchant. She attended Savanna and Thomson schools, graduating from the Thomson High School with the Class of 1968. On June 4, 1971, Connie married her high school sweetheart, Richard “Dick” Rice. They raised four children and celebrated forty-five years of marriage.
Connie was a homemaker, taking care of her family and looking after her grandchildren. She also worked several years at McDonalds in Clinton, and cooked at several reastaurants, including The Watermelon Café in Thomson, The Townhouse Restaurant and Mamma’s Restaurant in Savanna, and Bush’s Restaurant in Fulton. She was a past member of the Savanna Moose Lodge.
Connie will be dearly missed by her husband Dick Rice of Riverview; four children, Robbie (Jennifer) Rice of Thomson, Christina (Javier) Alaniz of Granbury, Texas, William (Sarah) Rice of Fulton and Melinda Schlesener of Clinton, Iowa; eighteen grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Susan (Alfredo) Rayos of San Antonio, Texas. Connie is preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Wilbert, Elmer Jr. and Arthur; two sisters, Velma Heim and Rhonda Merchant; and a nephew, Jeffrey Alan Merchant.