Things change: Rice barn recycled

Two members of an historic Du Quoin dairy farming family are gone and in the next two days the barn that represented much of their lives will be gone, as well.

Harold Rice recently moved to Alabama to be closer to daughter Jane. One of his sons, Charles "Beaver" Rice broke the hearts of a town when he died suddenly this past year.

Things change, said Harold's son, Rudy Rice, as members of an Amish family--actually 10 brothers--began dismantling the Rice barn on Monday that at one time was part of a disciplined dairy operation and lives well-lived.

The barn being dismantled was actually the second barn constructed on the site. It was built in 1996 after a tornado or wind shear cut a path through the area between Elkville and Christopher.

The barn was built by Farm Service and replaced the original 1939 Hartsock barn to the immediate east of two beautiful Rice family homes.

Rudy Rice said that, like all families, you have to decide what's important.

"The barn was costing us a thousand dollars in taxes and the insurance was costing us another $800," he said, two expenses the families no longer need since the dairy operation was discontinued several years ago.

He said the environmental issues kept growing, neighbors complained about the smell and lives changed for some members of this great family.

"Because of the way the barn was laid out--for a dairy operation--we can't use it now," he said.

But, in its day it was home to a dawn to duck dairy operation that sent thousands of gallons of high quality milk through the Prairie Farms pasteurization operation and on into the Southern Illinois marketplace.

It was the place were thousands of Du Quoin-area school children toured and learned dairy farming. Children could pet a cow and watch how milk was produced.

"I was one of five generations of dairy farmers here," said Rudy.

It was a family affair and the Rice children were the envy of children everywhere because of the hard work, community involvement and sense of family that existed.

And, life was fun.

It began on what was known as the Hartsock dairy farm and evolved through the marriage of Harold Rice and Ara Jean (Hartsock) Rice.

The farm actually dates back to the 1850s and was settled by Ara Jean's great grandfather, Edwin Burbank.

To that marriage were born five children--Judy,m Rudy, Leanna, Jane and "Beaver."

All finished college and the family's reach influenced the Prairie Farms operation, a fledgling John A. Logan college and the Perry County Farm Bureau. Harold was Farm Bureau president for eight years and served on the Du Quoin National Bank board of directors and was president of the Marshall Browning Hospital.

But, again, things change--not for better or for worse. They just change. The barn will be gone by late Wednesday, but we have the memories.