Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1889

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 382
MILTON RICE, the present manager of the County Poor Farm of Muscatine County, Iowa, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1832, and was the youngest in a family of six children born to James and Rebecca ( Drill ) Rice, who were natives of Maryland. The father was a farmer by occupation, and emigrated to Ohio in an early day, there making his home until his death, which occurred in 1842, at the age of fifty-six years. His wife died when our subject was an infant. Their children yet living are : J. W. , who resides in Muscatine County ; James and Fleming, who are both married and live in Ohio ; and Louisa, now Mrs. Waltz, a rseident of Lake Township.

Milton Rice was reared to farm life, and received his education in the common schools of Ohio. Seated on a slab seat in an old log school-house he conned the primitive books of that day. In his native State , in 1855, he led to the marriage altar Miss Mary Focht, who was born in Ohio, and is a daughter of Lewis and Sarah ( Gephart ) Focht, the father a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of the Buckeye State. They are both yet living in Ohio, where her father follows the carpentry trade. The children of their family yet living are : C. William, who is married and resides in Preble County, Ohio ; Cornelius and Milton, both married and living in Ohio : Rachel, now Mrs. Morningstar, a resident of Ohio, and Mrs. Rice.

By the union of our subject and his wife four children have been born : Alva, who is married, resides in Davenport, and is employed as a salesman there : Albert, who is also married ; Carrie, now Mrs. Kope, of Bloomington Township, and Howard, who is at home. After the marriage the young couple began their domestic life in Ohio, there residing until 1856, When they came to Muscatine County, Iowa, locating in Lake Township, where they continued to reside until Mr. Rice was appointed manager of the County Farm. They are now pleasantly situated about two miles from the business part of Muscatine, just outside the city limits. In his political views Mr. Rice is a Democrat, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Spangler's Chapel. They are highly respected citizens of the community where they reside, and have many warm friends throughout the county.

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