Arlene Faye (Hanneman) Rice

Arlene Faye (Hanneman) Rice, age 82, formerly of Wilsonville, NE, passed away at the Residency in Scottsbluff, NE on Sunday, February 9, 2020. She was born in Lincoln, KS on February 16, 1937 to Harold and Alma (Spear) Hanneman. Arlene attended and graduated from Beaver City High School.  

On March 4, 1955, Arlene was united in marriage to Warren Rice in Hendley, NE. He preceded her in death on June 2, 2008. The couple made their home in Wilsonville. To this union 4 children were born: Cynthia, Terry, Tony, and Tina. While raising 4 young children, she pursued a college degree. She attended Kearney State College (now University of Nebraska at Kearney) and studied Music Education. While in college, Arlene sang in several select chorale groups and was a member of both Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society and the Delta Omicron National Honorary Music Fraternity. In 1967, Arlene graduated on the Dean’s List with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Comprehensive Music Education.   

As a music teacher, Arlene instilled an appreciation for music and performance in many local communities: Wilsonville, Oxford, Beaver Valley, Beaver City, as well as Jennings, KS. Arlene served as the President of the NE Choral Directors Association. 

Arlene was a woman of strong faith and a member of the Wilsonville Baptist Church since early childhood. In 1978, Arlene began serving overseas with the Revival Fire Ministries as a musical evangelist. She continued spreading God’s love in Ghana, India, Russia, Australia, and Haiti. This mission work blossomed into ARMS (Arlene Rice Ministries). The expansion of her service in Haiti would ultimately come full circle: the Haitian youth that her ministry sponsored into American Bible colleges would later return to Haiti to promote the Gospel. Throughout this time, Arlene and her family raised funds for ARMS through music ministry in the Midwest. After years of touching lives internationally, she served as minister for the Free Methodist Church in Beaver City and filled several other pulpits in the area. 

After retirement, Arlene continued to serve. She worked as a Med Aide and a CNA in Beaver City and Arapahoe.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Alma; husband, Warren; brother-in-law, Kendall Rice; mother-in-law, Eldine Rice; and father-in-law, Albert Rice.

Arlene is survived by her children, Cynthia and husband Mark Milligan of Park County, CO, Terry and wife Tammy of Hendley, NE, Tony and wife Patricia of Wilsonville, and Tina and husband Gordon Cook of Scottsbluff, NE; 12 grandchildren; 26 great grandchildren; and 2 sisters, Nyla and husband Arvid Bell of Hendley, NE and LaVerna Weiland of Oxford, NE.

Services for Arlene F. Rice formerly of Wilsonville were held at the Wilsonville Baptist Christian Church on Saturday February 15, 2020 at 10:00 AM with Lynn Reynolds officiating. Interment in the Wilsonville Cemetery. Visitation was held at the Lockenour-Jones Mortuary in Cambridge on Friday February 14, 2020 from 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM. Family was present to greet friends from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM.

Friends may leave online condolences at lockenourfh.com. Memorials may be left in Arlene's name at the Lockenour-Jones Mortuary. Lockenour-Jones Mortuary entrusted with arrangements

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