Violet M. Riley, 88 of Gering, Nebraska passed away Thursday, March 28, 2019 at Heritage Estates in Gering.
Her funeral service will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Gering with Pastor Richard Neugebauer officiating. Interment will follow at West Lawn Cemetery in Gering. Visitation will be from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm on Monday, April 1 at Gering Memorial Chapel. Casket will be closed at the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Faith Lutheran Church or donor’s choice. Online condolences may be made at www.geringchapel.com.
Her journey through life found her attending Sunflower Consolidated School and Browns Canyon Grade School through the third grade. The remainder of her childhood was spent on a farm near McGrew, Nebraska. She graduated from McGrew High School with the Class of 1948. The class consisted of five graduates. She attended Central Business College in Denver, Colorado. Following graduation she returned to Nebraska and began a seven year career employed by the City of Scottsbluff as secretary to the first City Manager of Scottsbluff, T.E. Thompson, under the newly formed City Manager form of government. She was a member of Nu Phi Mu women’s business sorority.
On November 28, 1954, she was married to Harold Riley in the Federated Church in Mitchell. They enjoyed fifty-nine years of marriage. Two children were born to the couple Tamara and Todd. Her family was her focus and greatest achievement. A strong work ethic, loyalty and bond was installed in both children. She was a devoted wife and mother. The family lived in the Sunflower Community for 35 years on a farm that has been in the Riley family for over 80 years. Following Harold’s retirement in 1992, the family moved to Gering, where she lived until Harold’s death in 2014, when she became a resident of the Village of Regional West.
She is survived by her children Tamara (William) Wyman of Lincoln; Todd (Kari) Riley of Louisville, Colorado; sister Patsy (Robert) Sterkel of Gering, brother James (Connie) Green of Rapid City, South Dakota; sisters-in-law Lucille Green of Scottsbluff, Janet Williams of Alliance and Loretta Surber of Roseville, California. Numerous special nieces and nephews and their families. Grandson Harrison “H” Riley of Louisville, Colorado and granddaughters Rylie Wyman of Lincoln, Nebraska and Logan Riley of Louisville, Colorado.
Violet was preceded in death by her husband Harold, parents Louis and Mary Green, sisters Theresa Ramig and Hilda Howard, brother Milton Green, sister –in-law Mary Wright, brothers-in-law Wayne Ramig, Wesley Howard, Robert Williams, Gene Surber and Claude Wright.
