Nancy Kay {Beard} Rice

January 7, 1946 - December 2, 2022

Nancy Kay (Beard) Rice of Jamestown, Indiana passed away Friday, December 2, 2022, at IU Methodist in Indianapolis.  Born at home (during an ice storm) January 7, 1946, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Nancy was a daughter of Kenneth Charles and Mary “Betty” Elizabeth (Hackney) Beard.

A 1964 graduate of South Side High School of Fort Wayne, a graduate of Lutheran Nursing School in 1967 and later a graduate of St. Francis College (both in Fort Wayne), Nancy served as a post-partum nurse at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne for many years.  Later her family moved to Kentucky Lake, Kentucky where she practiced her nursing skills at Murray-Calloway County Hospital until 2006 when she chose to make Jamestown, Indiana (Boone County) her special hometown.  After moving to Jamestown, Nancy worked with the State Board of Health until her retirement two years ago.

Nancy is survived by a daughter, Melanie, of Jamestown, her brother John (Dala) Beard of Chassell, Michigan, her sister, Jane Beard of Speedway, Indiana and sister Suzanne “Suzy” (Tom) Rich of rural Jamestown, nephew, Peter (Kim) Hinzy of Lyons, Colorado, nieces Michele (Tim) Patrick of Danville, IN and Julie Justus of Fishers, IN.

She was preceded in death by her parents Kenneth and Betty Beard, stepmother, Bessie, a brother, Charles Beard, and ex-husband, Rick Rice of Paris, Tennessee. 

Nancy was totally immersed in the culture of her adopted hometown of Jamestown, serving as the president of the Park Board of Jamestown (sponsor of the Jamestown Apple Cider Festival), a board member of the Tri-Area Library of Jamestown, active member of the Jamestown Lion’s Club, on many committees for the Jamestown United Methodist Church, a member of the Gingham Pals Homemakers Club, a volunteer naturalist at McCloud Nature Park in North Salem, member of the Hendricks County Master Gardeners Club and joined many other believers in special Bible Study groups locally and at Connection Pointe in Brownsburg.

Outside her local community, Nancy was heavily involved with Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Pawnee, IL and sponsored fund-raising meals for Red Bird Mission and School in Clay County, KY. 

Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Porter and Hunt Funeral Home in Jamestown, IN.  Visitation will be held again on Wednesday, December 7, 10:00 to 11:00 AM prior to the 11:00 AM service at the Jamestown United Methodist Church, 42 South High.   A graveside service and burial at Old Union Cemetery will follow. 

Preferred memorials would be to Midwest Mission Distribution Center, 1001 Mission Drive, Pawnee, IL 62558 or her church, Jamestown United Methodist at P. O. Box 173, Jamestown, IN 46147.  

https://www.robertporterfuneralhome.com/obituary/nancy-rice#:~:text=Indiana%20%7C%201946%20%2D%202022%20%7C