Reading Eagle, Pa., Ask Ron column [Reading Eagle, Pa.]

By Ask Ron is a weekly feature providing answers to quirky curiosities of the Berks County area., Reading Eagle, Pa.McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Aug. 23--Q: Who was Edward Rice and why did someone make a plaque in his memory?

George M. Meiser IX, Berks County's pre-eminent historian, makes a habit of monitoring eBay for remnants of local history.

His historical genes sprang into action when he came across a brass plaque engraved: "In memory of Edward Rice, Tyson-Schoener School, 1929-36."

The 8-by-5-inch memorial mentioning the school, which is in the 300 block of South Fifth Street, was being offered for sale online by an undisclosed owner.

Who was this Edward Rice, Meiser wondered, and why did someone make a plaque in his memory?

The dates on the plaque spanned only seven years. Was he a student? A teacher? The principal? Rice must have done something outstanding to warrant a memorial.

It had the makings of a historical mystery, and detective Meiser went at it with all the verve of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot.

The mystery was particularly enticing because Tyson-Schoener's principal during the 1929-36 era would become, later in life, a personal friend of Meiser's.

Meiser put out the word to his contacts in the Berks community of historians. One of the keenest observers of local history, Sandy Stief, offered some clues.

She manages Aulenbach's Cemetery in Reading, where, it turns out, Rice is buried. The cemetery had a copy of his obituary.

Edward F. Rice, 47, who died Aug. 20, 1936, was a janitor at Tyson-Schoener.

"My guess," Stief said, "is that he was a beloved janitor at the school, and some person or persons wanted him remembered."

Rice lived at 1231 Buttonwood St., his obit reads, and was survived by his widow, Bessie (Kreisher), and a daughter at home.

He was a member of the Knights of Malta Friendship Commandery 241 in Reading and Goodwill Fire Company, Hyde Park.

Interestingly, Stief's father was a member of the same Knights of Malta lodge at the time Rice was. It was headquartered at Fourth and Court streets.

"Small world," Stief said. "My father might have known him."

The saga takes yet another interesting twist.

Concerned that this tidbit of Berks history might fall into the wrong hands, Meiser, with only hours remaining on the eBay offer, bought the plaque for $10. As fate would have it, the seller is a neighbor of Meiser's in Exeter Township.

Small world, as Sandy Stief noted.

Now that he has the plaque, Meiser wants to return it to Tyson-Schoener Elementary School.

As for why a janitor who worked at a school for only seven years would be so fondly remembered, that remains a mystery.

We can only conclude that Edward Rice was a kind person and dedicated worker who made a great impression on those around him.

Ask Ron is a weekly feature providing answers to quirky curiosities of the Berks County area. Is there something that you're curious about? Pose the question to Ron Devlin at 610-371-5030 or rdevlin@readingeagle.com.

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