Graveside Services for Sandra Laverne Rice, Age 82 of Willow Springs, Missouri will be held on Friday, July 3rd, 2026 in The Willow Springs City Cemetery, Willow Springs, Missouri, beginning at 10:00 AM under the direction of The Yarber Mortuary, Mountain View, Missouri.
Sandra LaVerne Rice, surrounded by loved ones, peacefully entered into heaven the evening of June 22, 2026. Waiting to meet her there were her mother and daddy, Thomas and LaVerne Archer; her brother, Tommy; her brothers-in-law, Otis Rice, Dale Rice, and Tom Luttrell. Also there to welcome her were sweet voices she had never heard, but that rang out when she got there, including her early pregnancy loss, Baby Henry, Baby Thompson, and Grayson Thompson.
She was born on November 9, 1944, and grew up in Hapeville, Georgia. Sandra was the apple of her daddy’s eye, and she often talked about how spoiled she was. Travel was a big part of her early years, with some trips including roadside ponies you could stop and ride for a few cents.
Sandra loved horses, and she had several over the years, along with dogs and cats. She enjoyed many horse rides with her friend, Aliene, and going on a taxi ride with her cousin, Marshall, to their Grandmama Lois’ house. Other times, Sandra and Marshall took his little sister out in a stroller and told people she was a boy. She loved going to Chapman Drug with her cousin, Penny, for a lime sour from the old-fashioned soda fountain. While growing up, the role her daddy played during the civil rights movement made a big impression on the person she became. Her daughters and grandchildren took pictures of her daddy and Martin Luther King, Jr. to school every year.
One of her biggest loves was going to church, singing in the choir, and the prayer room. She spent countless hours managing a schedule to keep prayer warriors in the room during service and to pray for the needs of friends, family, and others in need. Her girls often said, “If momma prays for it, it will happen.” Jokingly saying she had a direct line to Jesus.
In 1973, she married Chuck, and together they raised Kim and Dawn. In 1977, the family moved to Missouri, living first in Birch Tree and later moving to Mountain View.
Sandra always remained true to her roots, instilling southern values into her family through southern cooking, cheering for the Braves and Falcons, or teaching little sayings passed down from her own grandparents.
She enjoyed attending the activities of her daughters and grandchildren. When she could no longer go, she enjoyed having Ellie and Emma visit with her and staying to play Bingo at Willow Care. She was the best wife, Momma, and Mammaw.
Those left to carry her in their hearts are her husband, Chuck; daughters, Kim and Dawn; sons-in-law, John and Randy; grandchildren, Mandy (Brice) Thompson, Chelsea (Luke) Abbey, Haley (David) McLain, Heaven (Brandon) Focht, Jesse (Megan) Henry, and Mattie Henry; great-grandchildren, Addison, Ellie, Layden, Emma, Kason, Logan, Liam, Reid, and Everly; and sisters-in-law, Donna Luttrell and Donna Bunch Rice Bates.
“For God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” These are the words Momma spoke many times, and these are some of the words that we hold in our hearts as a remembrance. Ours for a little while, with Jesus forever.
