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Carolyn Joan (Canfield) Rice passed away on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. She was a life-long resident of the Elkins, West Virginia, area. In recent years she had been a resident of Mountain Memories Assisted Living facility. She was 93 years old.
Carolyn was born on July 15, 1931, on the family farm on the Shavers Fork River (Lower Cheat) in Randolph County. Her parents were Carl and Lillian (Kelly) Canfield. In addition to the farmhouse, the farm was the site of the one-room school and the church which Carolyn attended during her youthful years. She was the only one in her class during the first eight years of her schooling.
She completed her formal schooling at Elkins High School and graduated with the class of 1949. The one-room Canfield School is no longer on the farm, but the Mt. Zion Methodist Church, a log church, remains. The Canfield family cemetery also exists there.
Carolyn had three siblings, all younger, Firmen, Carl Canfield, Anna Grace (Canfield) Daetwyler and Erma Jean Canfield. Firmen and Erma Jean preceded Carolyn in death. Anna Grace is surviving and lives in La Plata, Maryland. Carolyn is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Peggy Canfield of Elkins and Jane Rice of Morrisville, Pennsylvania.
On July 15, 1953, Carolyn married Donald L. Rice, who preceded her in death in 2021. They were married in Oakland, Maryland.
Carolyn worked as a secretary for the Monongahela Power Company in Elkins prior to her marriage. After having three children, Carolyn started working as a bank teller for Davis Trust Company in Elkins. She worked there for almost 25 years.
Carolyn and Don had three children, Dianna Lynne (Phil) Petrosky, Thomas Lee (Melissa) Rice, and Donna Sue (Ben) McClung. Her children blessed her with eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. One grandson, Mark Petrosky, preceded her in death.
Carolyn was a very hard-working mother, wife and employee. She was involved as a volunteer in all the school activities in which her children participated, especially sports and band. She was a long-time participant in the Randolph County 4-H Leaders organization, being a leader of the Echo II 4-H Club. She had also been involved in 4-H when she was growing up.
Carolyn delighted family and friends with the products of her cooking, baking, and canning skills. She was an outstanding seamstress, as well as the creator of many beautiful needlework pieces, especially counted cross stitch.
After marriage, Carolyn and Don attended, as members, the First United Methodist Church in Elkins. They were faithful to the church their entire married life. Carolyn derived great pleasure from her involvement with church women's organizations, particularly the Julia Bonafield Circle, United Methodist Women, weekly Bible study and quilting group, working hard for the success of the groups at their meetings, meals and bazaars.
She was also a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority in Elkins for over 50 years.
During her time raising her children and then after the children had left home, Carolyn and Don looked forward to a major annual vacation or out-of-state trip. She saw most of the United States and many foreign countries. However, she would be the first to tell you that there was no place like home.
The family will receive friends at the Lohr & Barb Funeral Home of Elkins from 10a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Services will be conducted at the funeral home, Saturday at noon. Interment will follow at the Elkins Memorial Gardens on the Country Club Road, south of Elkins, West Virginia.
The Lohr & Barb Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Carolyn Joan (Canfield) Rice.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.lohrbarbfuneralhome.com.
Those wishing to make a charitable monetary contribution in the memory of Carolyn J. Rice can contribute to First United Methodist Church United Women in Faith, 315 Kerens Ave., Elkins, WV 26241, or to the Randolph County 4-H Leaders Association c/o WVU Randolph County Extension, 32 Randolph Ave., Elkins, WV 26241.