Sandra Lee "Sandie" Rice, 70, Mitchell, died Wednesday, April 6th, 2011, at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, Mitchell, due to complications from a 47 year long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 11th, 2011, at Mitchell Wesleyan Church. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery, Mitchell. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 10th, 2011, at Will Funeral Chapel, Mitchell. Relatives & friends are invited to gather with the family for lunch and fellowship at the Mitchell Wesleyan Church following the committal service. She was born September 11th, 1940 to Don & Billie Solum in Huron. At the age of 3, the family moved to Mitchell where she lived the rest of her life. She attended Mitchell schools & graduated in 1958. She went on to further her education at Augustana, USD, & DWU. She finished her 4 year college degree in 3 years, graduating with top honors, "Summa Cum Laude" with a BS from DWU in 1961. On June 28, 1959, Sandie married Warren Rice at the First Lutheran Church in Mitchell.Her hobbies in her younger, more active years, included golfing, bowling, swimming, gardening, sewing, & oil painting. She always had a love for music, singing, & dancing as well. As the disease progressed, she delved into photo albums, scrapbook making, & family tree history. She worked in secretarial & bookkeeping positions. In 1973, she began working at Worthing's Western Wear, doing sales & alterations, & eventually becoming the office manager until she retired in December 1994. Sandie was a member in the Mitchell Community Orchestra, Friends of the Middle Border Community Chorus, Treasurer of the American Association of University Women, Treasurer for the PEO Chapter, & in the PEO Sisterhood Chapter BK. She attended & became a member of Mitchell Wesleyan Church. Attending church to worship the Lord, hear the Word, grow spiritually, & fellowship with other Christians were all extremely important to her. Sandie's wonderful attitude & unwavering faith in Christ through all of her sufferings & adversities inspired many, challenged some, & served as a powerful witness to the sustaining power of Christ in her life. On many occasions, people visited her with the intention of encouraging & ministering to her, but instead came away encouraged, ministered to, & very blessed. Sandie also witnessed to & inspired untold numbers of people through her letters to the editor in the newspapers. Family & friends loved her dearly, were blessed to share her life, & will greatly miss her. She will be remembered as one who joyfully prayed for others & faithfully delighted in listening to or reading the Scriptures. To those closest to her, Sandie was a very wise, loving, selfless woman who feared & loved the Lord. As Proverbs 31:30 says, "...a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Sandie was such a woman. She was truly an incredible, amazing woman. She is survived by her 3 children - Stephanie Schroeder & husband Clinton (Spencer), Monte Rice (Mitchell), & Renee Cundy (Mitchell). 10 Grandchildren. A sister, Dawn Hopkins & husband Harvey (Casa Grande, AZ), a Brother-In-Law, Gary Alferness (Fridley, MN), & a Sister-In-Law, Mary Solum (Bellingham, WA). She was preceded in death by her father, her mother, one brother, & one sister. We would like to thank all of the many family, friends, caregivers, volunteers, ministers, doctors, nurses, medical staff, & everyone else who helped to enable Sandie to have a longer, fuller, happier life while here on earth. God bless you all!