A funeral service will be held to honor Monte at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, March 28, 2013, at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Faith, 5701 Highway 277 South, Abilene, Texas. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park Cemetery, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home.
Monte was born August 24, 1922 to Jessie James Rice and Eva Pauline Hamm Rice in Young County, Texas. Monte was married to Milze Brown, where the two lived in Abilene for many years. They owned and operated Milze Brown Paint & Body Works.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Milze Brown; two sisters, Mary Nelda Rice Bills and Betty Jo Rice Best; and a son, Stanley Wayne Austin.
Survivors include her son, James Ray Austin; her daughter, Pamela Sue (Suzie) Austin-Palumbo; step-son, Stan Brown; her brothers; Darrell Winston Rice and Robert (Bob) Rice; grandchildren, James Ray Austin Jr., CSM Stephen Lane Austin, Todd Bruner, Dwayne Brown, Connie Oldfield, and Renee Austin-Dyess.
Family requests in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association – North Central Texas Chapter, 301 South Pioneer Drive, Abilene, Texas 79605.