Page 130 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 130
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
Walkersville, 1900-02) in 1897, but returned for visits to the 1899, 1905, and 1906 Virginia Annual
Conferences. After Maryland Conference merged with the Pa. Conf. in 1901, he served Mt. Wolf, 1902 (Mar.-
Aug.); Tyrone, 1903-04; East Pittsburgh, 1905-06; Taneytown, 1906-07; Chewsville, 1907-10; Scotland,
1910-12; Third Church-York, 1912-15; West Fairview, 1915-17; Jefferson, 1919-25; and Manchester, 1925-
29. Rev. Rice retired from the active ministry in 1929. The brother of Samuel L. Rice (see below), he died in
1949 and is interred at Red Lion Cemetery. The two pictures on the left are from [Glovier 1965, p. 70], taken
in 1886; the one on the right is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 345]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see also pp. 127,
130, 285-291, 294-295, 300]; [Glovier 1965, p. 90]; and [Lycoming 2013]
RICE: Samuel L. Rice (1857-1930) was a brother of J. E. B. Rice (see
above); he was born Jan. 4, 1857, in Rushville, Rockingham County, , Va., son
of David Stoner and Tabitha A. Denton Rice; and died Oct. 1930 at Seven
Stars, Pa. The name S. L. Rice can be found on many old records of the
Singers Glen church as he was an active leader until he decided to become a
minister. He taught school in Rockingham County for 14 years at Taylor
Springs, Willow Run, and other places. He worked in the county surveyor’s
office and served several years in the state militia, as well. He was a graduate
of Roanoke College. Rice joined the Singers Glen church in 1883 by letter of
transfer and was elected trustee in 1884, 2 years before his brother was assigned as preacher. He was
licensed and joined Va. Conference in 1889, was ordained there in 1892, and served churches at Cross Keys
(1889-1892) and Roanoke (1892-98). While at Roanoke, he built the first U.B. church in the city. He also
asked that his membership be transferred from Singers Glen to there. He served Keedysville, 1898
(beginning July 1st) to 1902. In 1902, S. L. Rice transferred to the Pa. Conf. when the Maryland and Pa.
Confs. merged. He was pastor of the Gettysburg, Pa., U.B. Church for a time (1902-05). In 1906, he
withdrew (irregularly) and joined the [Evangelical] Lutheran Church. He was pastor of Lutheran churches at
Lemoyne and Marysville, Pa. He retired about 1920 while serving Marysville. S. L. Rice was first married to
Mary Margaret “Maggie” Shank (1863-1919), daughter of Christian and Elizabeth Rhodes Shank of Singers
Glen. She died in 1918, and he married secondly, Antoinette “Nettie” Bowers (Mrs. G. Howells of Chicago)
near Harrisonburg, Va. He had eight children, Saida (Mrs. H. S. Cowman), Ward B., James E., Paul B.,
Statton L., Joseph K., Bueil K., and Frederick C. Rice. He is buried with his first wife, Mary, and son Frederick
C. (1904-1925) in Evergreen Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pa. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church he served
churches in both Cumberland and Perry County, Pa. He died in Gettysburg in 1930. The gravestone photo is
by John Hileman (Oct. 27, 2011). The following story was published about his second marriage [Edwardsville
(Ill.) Intelligencer, Sep. 13, 1920]:
Springfield Ill., Sept 13 – Sweethearts in childhood, later engaged to be married, but separating after a lovers quarrel,
Rev. Samuel L. Rice of Harrisburg, Pa., and Mrs. Antoinette G. Howells of Chicago, were married here last week. “After
their separation [of] 35 years, Rev. Rice found another girl and married. He has been a widower for a year. Mrs. Howes
also married, but her husband died 2 years after the union. Recently Rev. Rice learned the address of his first sweetheart
and wrote her. She replied and after an exchange of letters, he proposed marriage and they met here. A clergyman friend
who was to have performed the ceremony was out of the city and to save time they were married by a justice of the peace.
It is believed to be the first local instance of a minister being married by a justice. Rice is 64 years old and his wife 7 years
his junior. They will reside in Harrisburg, Pa.” Nettie died in 1934 and is buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Ill. .
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see also pp. 128, 130, 134, 200, 290-292, 299]; [Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 231]; and [MacAllister
1976, pp. 111-112; Lycoming 2013]
RICHARDS: John Richards joined Va. Conf. in 1838, along with William Edwards and (Bishop) Jacob
Markwood. He was licensed to preach in 1838 and ordained in 1841. He was appointed to South Branch,
1839-1840; Winchester, 1842-1843; Hagerstown (with J. Bachtel), 1843-1845; Woodstock, 1845-1846; He
was known as a great revivalist and popular. He withdrew irregularly in 1846 (dropped from roll, having
withdrawn under charges.), joined the Lutheran Church, and went to Iowa. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see
also pp. 126, 248, 249-252] and [Glovier 1965, p. 88]
RICHARDSON: Harvey Eugene Richardson was born at Buckeystown, Md., June 22, 1865, and is a son of
James A. and Margaret E. Richardson. He was converted when 21,
licensed in 1891, entered the ministry as an officer in the Salvation
Army in 1895, joined the Conference and licensed to preach in 1895,
ordained in Va. Conf. in 1898, and was an itinerant since 1893.
Besides 5 years in Iowa Conference, his charges in Va. Conf. were:
Berkeley Springs Circuit, 1894-95; Great Cacapon, Mt. Nebo,
Rockbridge, 1895-96; Berkeley Springs Circuit, 1896-97; [Great]
Cacapon Mission, 1897-99; West Frederick, 1899-1900;
Williamsport, 1900-04; churches in St. Johns, Ardton, Dumont, and Tama, Iowa, 1903-09; Bayard, 1909-10;
Winchester Station, 1910-12; Cumberland, 1912-20; St. Luke’s (Martinsburg), 1920-26; Reliance, 1926-36;
Franklin, 1936-41; Sleepy Creek, 1941-50; and Cherry Run (in retirement). He also served Letts, 1903-1904,
in Iowa Conf. He had to begin making his way at the age of 12, and his has been largely a self-education. He
Biographical Sketches 118
Walkersville, 1900-02) in 1897, but returned for visits to the 1899, 1905, and 1906 Virginia Annual
Conferences. After Maryland Conference merged with the Pa. Conf. in 1901, he served Mt. Wolf, 1902 (Mar.-
Aug.); Tyrone, 1903-04; East Pittsburgh, 1905-06; Taneytown, 1906-07; Chewsville, 1907-10; Scotland,
1910-12; Third Church-York, 1912-15; West Fairview, 1915-17; Jefferson, 1919-25; and Manchester, 1925-
29. Rev. Rice retired from the active ministry in 1929. The brother of Samuel L. Rice (see below), he died in
1949 and is interred at Red Lion Cemetery. The two pictures on the left are from [Glovier 1965, p. 70], taken
in 1886; the one on the right is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 345]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see also pp. 127,
130, 285-291, 294-295, 300]; [Glovier 1965, p. 90]; and [Lycoming 2013]
RICE: Samuel L. Rice (1857-1930) was a brother of J. E. B. Rice (see
above); he was born Jan. 4, 1857, in Rushville, Rockingham County, , Va., son
of David Stoner and Tabitha A. Denton Rice; and died Oct. 1930 at Seven
Stars, Pa. The name S. L. Rice can be found on many old records of the
Singers Glen church as he was an active leader until he decided to become a
minister. He taught school in Rockingham County for 14 years at Taylor
Springs, Willow Run, and other places. He worked in the county surveyor’s
office and served several years in the state militia, as well. He was a graduate
of Roanoke College. Rice joined the Singers Glen church in 1883 by letter of
transfer and was elected trustee in 1884, 2 years before his brother was assigned as preacher. He was
licensed and joined Va. Conference in 1889, was ordained there in 1892, and served churches at Cross Keys
(1889-1892) and Roanoke (1892-98). While at Roanoke, he built the first U.B. church in the city. He also
asked that his membership be transferred from Singers Glen to there. He served Keedysville, 1898
(beginning July 1st) to 1902. In 1902, S. L. Rice transferred to the Pa. Conf. when the Maryland and Pa.
Confs. merged. He was pastor of the Gettysburg, Pa., U.B. Church for a time (1902-05). In 1906, he
withdrew (irregularly) and joined the [Evangelical] Lutheran Church. He was pastor of Lutheran churches at
Lemoyne and Marysville, Pa. He retired about 1920 while serving Marysville. S. L. Rice was first married to
Mary Margaret “Maggie” Shank (1863-1919), daughter of Christian and Elizabeth Rhodes Shank of Singers
Glen. She died in 1918, and he married secondly, Antoinette “Nettie” Bowers (Mrs. G. Howells of Chicago)
near Harrisonburg, Va. He had eight children, Saida (Mrs. H. S. Cowman), Ward B., James E., Paul B.,
Statton L., Joseph K., Bueil K., and Frederick C. Rice. He is buried with his first wife, Mary, and son Frederick
C. (1904-1925) in Evergreen Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pa. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church he served
churches in both Cumberland and Perry County, Pa. He died in Gettysburg in 1930. The gravestone photo is
by John Hileman (Oct. 27, 2011). The following story was published about his second marriage [Edwardsville
(Ill.) Intelligencer, Sep. 13, 1920]:
Springfield Ill., Sept 13 – Sweethearts in childhood, later engaged to be married, but separating after a lovers quarrel,
Rev. Samuel L. Rice of Harrisburg, Pa., and Mrs. Antoinette G. Howells of Chicago, were married here last week. “After
their separation [of] 35 years, Rev. Rice found another girl and married. He has been a widower for a year. Mrs. Howes
also married, but her husband died 2 years after the union. Recently Rev. Rice learned the address of his first sweetheart
and wrote her. She replied and after an exchange of letters, he proposed marriage and they met here. A clergyman friend
who was to have performed the ceremony was out of the city and to save time they were married by a justice of the peace.
It is believed to be the first local instance of a minister being married by a justice. Rice is 64 years old and his wife 7 years
his junior. They will reside in Harrisburg, Pa.” Nettie died in 1934 and is buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Ill. .
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see also pp. 128, 130, 134, 200, 290-292, 299]; [Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 231]; and [MacAllister
1976, pp. 111-112; Lycoming 2013]
RICHARDS: John Richards joined Va. Conf. in 1838, along with William Edwards and (Bishop) Jacob
Markwood. He was licensed to preach in 1838 and ordained in 1841. He was appointed to South Branch,
1839-1840; Winchester, 1842-1843; Hagerstown (with J. Bachtel), 1843-1845; Woodstock, 1845-1846; He
was known as a great revivalist and popular. He withdrew irregularly in 1846 (dropped from roll, having
withdrawn under charges.), joined the Lutheran Church, and went to Iowa. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 143; see
also pp. 126, 248, 249-252] and [Glovier 1965, p. 88]
RICHARDSON: Harvey Eugene Richardson was born at Buckeystown, Md., June 22, 1865, and is a son of
James A. and Margaret E. Richardson. He was converted when 21,
licensed in 1891, entered the ministry as an officer in the Salvation
Army in 1895, joined the Conference and licensed to preach in 1895,
ordained in Va. Conf. in 1898, and was an itinerant since 1893.
Besides 5 years in Iowa Conference, his charges in Va. Conf. were:
Berkeley Springs Circuit, 1894-95; Great Cacapon, Mt. Nebo,
Rockbridge, 1895-96; Berkeley Springs Circuit, 1896-97; [Great]
Cacapon Mission, 1897-99; West Frederick, 1899-1900;
Williamsport, 1900-04; churches in St. Johns, Ardton, Dumont, and Tama, Iowa, 1903-09; Bayard, 1909-10;
Winchester Station, 1910-12; Cumberland, 1912-20; St. Luke’s (Martinsburg), 1920-26; Reliance, 1926-36;
Franklin, 1936-41; Sleepy Creek, 1941-50; and Cherry Run (in retirement). He also served Letts, 1903-1904,
in Iowa Conf. He had to begin making his way at the age of 12, and his has been largely a self-education. He
Biographical Sketches 118
