Athelene J. Rice, age 74

     Athelene J. Rice, age 74, of Henrietta, passed away Monday, February 2, 2015.

    Born June 15, 1940 in Madison County, NC, she was a daughter of the late Porter Johnson and Maggie Fender Johnson. She attended Foster Creek School in Madison County, which was a one schoolhouse and worked in Asheville for S & W Cafeteria as a hostess for many years and as a cashier for Richard’s Burgers in Spindale for several years.  

    In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of fifty years, Bernard Rice and four sisters, Doris Damer, Trudy Ellison, Kathy Culbertson and Gail Biddix.

    Survivors include her son Lyonal Rice and wife, Teresa of Mooresboro; four brothers, Nathan Johnson and wife, Hennie of Florida, Sid Johnson and wife, Kay of Leicester, NC, Locke Johnson and wife, Joyce of Bakersville, NC and Alan Johnson and wife, Gail of Old Fort, NC; one sister, Freda Taffer of Kernersville, NC. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Kennedy Rice of Mooresboro and Gabrielle Rice of Chapel Hill, NC.

    A graveside service will be conducted on a later date at the Laurelton Free Will Baptist Chapel Cemetery in Madison County with Reverend Marshall Dill officiating.

Harrelson Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family.