Remembering Maxine Rice
October 3 will
mark the 98th birthday of Maxine Revae Hines Rice. Maxine married my
mother’s cousin on her maternal side. Maxine’s husband, Orlean was the oldest
son of Daisy Dean Rainey Rice, the eldest sister of my maternal grandmother, Gladys
Vivian Rainey Smith.
As
with so many women of the last century, Maxine’s homemaking skills used to provide for her
family were perfected to an art. As a vegetable gardener and preserver of her
produce by canning and freezing, she insured that her family had fine quality food at an
unbelievable savings to their family budget. Desserts and main dishes graced
her home. Her table was set with three delicious meals daily.
Maxine dressed
impeccably, even when working as a farmer’s wife. Maxine’s flair for style and
color inspired the custom-constructed clothing she created for herself and even
others.
With such a
capable woman, one might expect a strong husband would be a threat. Just the
opposite seemed true for Maxine. She respected Orlean explicitly. Even though
she might not always agree with him, she never aired that publicly.
When Orlean passed
away, Maxine requested Barbara Chapman Rice and I sing the song, “Does Jesus
Care?” at the funeral. I have always loved the song, because of its appropriateness for sorrow, depression, and despondency. Yet Maxine is the only person who
specifically requested it. She internalized the message of the final verse when
she buried her dear Orlean.
DOES JESUS CARE?
Verse 1:
Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?
Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Verse 2:
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?
Verse 3:
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?
Verse 4:
Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?
Barbara and I sang
the same beautiful song at Maxine's memorial service. I recall her grandson, Robbie
Rice, the son of Robert “Bob” (Maxine’s only son) and Deanne Rice, eulogizing
her with humor, recalling so many good memories of his grandmother. Most
impacting to me was the fact that Maxine supported Robbie, from the very
beginning, monetarily and with her prayers when he chose to follow God’s call
to share the gospel on college campuses. What a vivid illustration of her
strong faith and commitment to God’s work!
When we arrived at
the Pixley Cemetery for Maxine’s burial service, Robbie and his wife had
discovered in his grandmother’s Bible, on the ride to the cemetery, that she
had noted that “What a Day That Will Be” was her favorite song. How moving to
sing a verse of that song as we stood on one of the highest points in that area
of the Big Bend community overlooking the Arkansas River! With eyes of faith
and forward thinking, as we sang, we could visualize the day Jesus returned.
Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 that those who died in Christ will rise
first and then Christians living on the earth will unite with them.
Paul admonished
his readers to “comfort one another with these words.” So if we have wholeheartedly given our lives to Jesus as Maxine did, no matter what we
face, we can have comfort in knowing this is not all there is to life, but because
of Him, “we shall always be with the Lord.
Maxine, as with so many women of that generation, was a model homemaker, wife, and mother. Her faith and principles based on God's word undergirded and guided her daily life. Oh, that those of us in this present time would try in some area of our lives to emulate her! I remember times when a family member had misspoken or made a potentially embarrassing faux pas that Maxine's almost-whispered comment was, "But Kid, I never let on." I think I'll try to keep my mouth shut about non-essentials this week in honor of Maxine and "never let on." ( Actually, I seem to remember that phrase "I never let on" originated with Aunt Daisy, Maxine' s mother-in-law.)
Maxine, as with so many women of that generation, was a model homemaker, wife, and mother. Her faith and principles based on God's word undergirded and guided her daily life. Oh, that those of us in this present time would try in some area of our lives to emulate her! I remember times when a family member had misspoken or made a potentially embarrassing faux pas that Maxine's almost-whispered comment was, "But Kid, I never let on." I think I'll try to keep my mouth shut about non-essentials this week in honor of Maxine and "never let on." ( Actually, I seem to remember that phrase "I never let on" originated with Aunt Daisy, Maxine' s mother-in-law.)
Below is a link to a performance of What a Day That Will Be by Bart Millard and Mercy Me
Below is a performance of What a Day That Will Be by Gaither Vocal Band
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| This clipping from a 1967 Lamp published by the Indian Electric Cooperative was in my maternal grandmother's scrapbook. Seeing that stamp book reminded me of afternoons when Angie, my sister, and I filled as many stamp books as we could. The caption attached to the photo tells a story in itself as to how costs have changed over the last 50 years! |
