Rice Family
Our story starts in New England and moves to New York, Michigan, and points west. We were active in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Our family trekked across the American plains to pioneer in Utah and Nevada.
come read our stories
William Kelsey Rice
William Kelsey Rice was born in Manchester, New York in 1822. He and his parents moved to Washtenaw County Michigan to homestead. William married Lucy Geer in Nauvoo, Illinois before trekking west to Utah. He helped settle Farmington, Utah and lived most of his life there. He was 91 years old when he died on 6 July 1913.
Mary Busenbark
Mary Busenbark was born in upstate New York to a wealthy German Jewish family. However her family gave up everything to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She traveled to Utah in 1847. Thereafter she married Asaph Rice and raised a family. She passed away in Panaca, Nevada in 1888.
Louisa Busenbark
Louisa Busenbark was born in upstate New York to a wealthy German Jewish family. However her family gave up everything to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She traveled to Utah in 1847. She married Asaph Rice and raised a family. She passed away in Panaca, Nevada in 1885.
Asaph Rice
Asaph Rice was born on 3 January 1817 in Farmington in western New York state. His father moved the family to the wilds of Michigan Territory to homestead a land bounty received for his service in the War of 1812. The Rice family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and moved first to Nauvoo, Illinois and then west to Utah where they helped develop several settlements. Asaph died in Panaca, Nevada on 3 February 1872.
Ira Rice
Ira grew up near Palmyra, New York and served in the War of 1812. His first wife was Minerva Saxton, who died in 1824. Ira then married Sarah Ann Harrington before taking his family to help settle southern Michigan. Ira’s family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1840 and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. Then they moved west to Utah where Ira helped settle Cache and Washington Counties.