Joseph Hyrum Rice

Joseph Hyrum and his twin brother, Hyrum Joseph, were born in Providence, Cache County, Utah, on December 2, 1861. Their parents were Asaph and Mary Busenbark Coleman Rice. Mary was the widow of George Coleman who had died a member of the Mormon Battalion and her sister, Louisa, also a widow, was Asaph's first wife. Asaph's two families by these two sisters remained close as he moved from Providence to many new settlements in what was then Southern Utah, but later became bounded into the State of Nevada.

The stories of these twin sons parallel and one story is not complete without the other. Only in the instances of their marriages and the subsequent births of their children do we find a varying of separate lives. They grew up together, shared interests in a stock raising endeavor, sold out their interests simultaneously and invested in a store business called "Rice Brothers Cash Store" in Panaca, later they owned and managed a store in Caliente, Nevada, and in later years, when they could no longer do the work in their businesses, spent their remaining years together.

Joseph Hyrum grew to manhood in Panaca and like his father, experienced the rigors of hard times and hard work. Joseph was the first of the twins to take the marriage step. His bride was Josephine Hamblin the daughter of Edwin Hamblin, who was a brother of Jacob Hamblin, the well known, famous scout and Indian missionary. The Hamblin's had been in Panaca and Spring Valley and also in Eagle Valley. No doubt, Joseph and Josephine had known each other for many years. They made their home, after marriage, in Panaca, near the homes of Joseph's sisters, Margaret Ella Mathews and Mary Jane Lee.

Joseph and his wife had six children born to them. After selling his interests in the Rice cattle of Spring Valley, Joseph and his twin brother owned and managed the "Rice Brothers Cash Store" in Panaca, and later another store in Caliente, Nevada. In 1905, Joseph's wife died and was buried at Panaca. His oldest girl did her best to take care of the home and her four brothers. For some time Joseph worked on the Jim Ryan Ranch. T hen the time came, after his children were grown that neither he nor his twin brother could work, but they spent their time together vacationing in the cool hills to avoid the summer heat and living in the Moapa Valley to avoid the cold weather in winter.

One common trait enjoyed by these good men was a great love for children. On July 30, 1944, Joseph died and his twin, Hyrum, went two years later. Both were buried in Panaca where they had spent a big share of their lives.

The above story was found in Oriel Tracy's genealogy, under descendants of Ira Rice.

SOURCE: Family Search.org