Minnie Ruth Rice

Minnie Ruth (HorseChief) Rice, 67, of Pawnee, traveled to the stars at 9:00 AM, Tuesday, July 10th, 2023. She was born on October 21st, 1955 at the old Pawnee Hospital in Pawnee, Oklahoma to Elizabeth and Vance HorseChief Sr. HorseChief had 7 siblings and she was the youngest. Minnie was married to the late Pitahahwirata Chief, Ronald Rice Sr. on August 3rd, 1974 and they had three children together, Ronnetta, Michelle, and Ronald Jr. Later on in life, they took in Gilbert Beard as a son. Ronald Sr. had passed February 1st, 2023. Ron and Minnie are the grandparents to eight grandchildren, Sabryna, Emerald, Karen, Sadie, Ronald III, Leland, Thomas Charles, and Charlie. May their legacy live within them.

Minnie was a resident of Pawnee, almost all her life. She graduated from Riverside Indian School and attended the University of Oklahoma.

Sta-witi-wah is Minnie Ruth’s Pawnee name, it translates to, “First Ear of Corn.” She comes from, “SpottedHorseChief,” and was a descendant of our women’s sacred bundle. The bundle was handed down from her Ucca, Dolly Moore. She was raised through ceremonial traditions and respected our cultural ways.