Mildred “Tina” Rice, 89, former longtime Parsons resident, died at 2:25 a.m. Monday, June 25, 2012, in Tulsa after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.

She was born Sept. 26, 1922, near Oswego to Frank and Mildred (Walker) Swanwick. She graduated from Oswego High School. She held an associate of arts degree from Labette Community College and throughout her life continued to earn credits from Brigham Young University by correspondence and through LCC.

Tina’s work career included employment in insurance with Bodwell and Lemmond and Victory Life Insurance Cos. and in banking with Peoples Savings and Loan and Commercial Bank. She held a Kansas real estate and a state insurance license.

For more than 35 years, Tina was a member of the Parsons Planning and Zoning Commission. She served on the boards of the American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, Parsons Historical Society and was the Labette County Genealogy Society corresponding secretary. She compiled and published two volumes for genealogy research. Her research requests came from across the United States and some as far as England.

On April 28, 1943, she was married to Robert L. Rice at the First Presbyterian Church in Parsons. He preceded her in death on March 10, 1978.

She is survived by her youngest sister and adopted daughter, Sharon “Sherry” Swanwick of Tulsa; a granddaughter, Danyelle Crouch; and three great-grandchildren, Olivia, Lanie and Springer Austin; siblings, Larry Swanwick and his wife, Betty, of Parsons, Phyllis “Kay” Czapansky and her husband, Ray, of Parsons, Shirley McDaniel Alford and her husband, Gerald, of Edna, and Francis “Sonny” Swanwick and his wife, Alma, of Oswego.

Tina is remembered for her appreciation of antique china and furniture, genealogy research and for her love of animals. She was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church.

The service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the First Presbyterian Church in Parsons. Burial will be in the Oswego Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. today at the Carson-Wall Funeral Home.

Memorials are suggested to either the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Cancer Society. They may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.

Online condolences may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.