BENJAMIN F. BICE GRAVESTONE PHOTO
The Wellsville Globe, Friday, Mar. 6, 1903
B. F. Bice died at his home in Douglass county, near Wellsville, at 5:20 o’clock Sunday morning aged 63 years.
Although Mr. Bice had been in failing health for some time his condition did not become serious until two weeks ago. His condition did not improve and within the last week a complication of diseases developed to such an extent as to render his condition critical. Although he received the best of medical attention from the beginning of his illness he grew rapidly worse and but a few days ago it was seen that his case was hopeless. Although the people of Wellsville and the country generally were aware of the critical nature of Mr. Bice’s illness the announcement of his death was a great shock to his many friends and acquaintances, who held him in high esteem.
When the Civil War broke out he entered the army, to fight in the defense of the Union, as sergeant of the 130th Illinois infantry, and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant.
He was a member of Look Out Post No. 96, Grand Army of the Republic, of Wellsville.
He was well educated and was a man of unusually high attainments and an eloquent and pleasant speaker. He always took an active interest in public matters but never sought office.
Mr. Bice was born June 28th 1840 in Sangamon county, Illinois. He was married to Miss Bertha Owen in 1867. The union was blessed with nine children, six of whom are living, three sons and three daughters. In the spring of 1895 he removed to Kansas and settled on a farm near Wellsville, where he lived at the time of his death.
Surviving him are his wife and the following children:--Mrs. Jno Dean, of Homewood, Kans., Mrs. Arthur Johnson, of Denver, Colo., Miss Cora and Messrs Frank, Eugene and Edwin, on the home farm; two sisters and one brother.
Miss Sue Bice, his sister, and Miss Maud Hickman, a niece, from Illinois, and Mr. Tom Pickrell and wife, cousins, from Ottawa, Kansas, were at the funeral.
The pallbearers were Messrs Tom Pickrell, A. L. Colegrove, A. O. Cody, J. C. Sinclair, V. Kline, and E. S. Kirkpatrick. Interment was in Wellsville cemetery.