Phyllis Arline Rice, 97, of Grand Island, formerly of Central City, passed away on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at Tiffany Square in Grand Island. To honor Phyllis’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A service to celebrate her life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 14, at Heartland Springs Calvary Chapel in Grand Island.

Phyllis was born on November 4, 1928, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Ole and Clara (Rodning) Huseth. When she was 7 years old, her dad passed away, a loss she always carried in her heart. A short time after that, she and her younger sister and younger brother went to live in an orphanage where she watched over her siblings and protected them like she was their mother. Phyllis and her sister entered the foster care system and lived in several foster homes before, at the age of 12, going to live with their permanent foster family.

After graduation from high school, Phyllis worked at The Golden Rule Department Store where she met her future husband, Robert Rice. They were married on October 1, 1949. Her lifelong wish of becoming a mother was fulfilled when three children were born of the marriage: Jeffrey, Robert “Bob” and Karen. In 1965, the family moved from Bloomington, Minnesota to Grand Island. Her husband passed away in 1979. She met a dear friend, Ramon “Ray” Valencia, and it developed into more than a friendship. They had many happy years together making wonderful memories. In her later years, she moved to Central City to be closer to her daughter.

Phyllis enjoyed reading, singing, speaking, dancing and socializing. She was a Girl Scout leader and time spent with her children, and later her grandchildren, was very important to her. She worked at Brandeis, Miller & Paine and JC Penney. She retired from JC Penney at the age of 70 and truly enjoyed her retirement years.

Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Jeffrey (ViAnna) Rice of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Karen (Scott) Nelson of Central City; grandchildren, Vanessa (Kevin) Malm, Bradley (Emily) Rice, Tara (Johnathan) Lewis, and Erik Nelson; great grandchildren, Kayla Rice, Andrew Rice, Avery Rice, Madison Rice, Preston Malm, and Cassandra “Kitt” Lewis; her brother, Norman Toensing; miscellaneous nieces and nephews; and her beloved grand dogs, Molly and Furgie.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her in-laws; her husband, Robert Rice; her son, Robert “Bob” Rice; her significant other, Ramon “Ray” Valencia; her brother, Merle Huseth; and her sister, Donna Borchardt.

The family wishes to extend their sincere appreciation to the staff of Tiffany Square and AseraCare Hospice Care for their compassion, care and understanding while taking care of our loved one.

Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date.