RILEY, Gaylord Eugene "Gene" --- 1921-2010

SCHELLHAMMER, POWELL, RILEY, LITTLE, RAUCH, MACFARLAND, HALL, LEWIS, RUSK, MCCONNELL, GEDDES

Posted By: IaGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 1/2/2011 at 11:46:35

Gaylord Eugene "Gene" Riley

Gaylord Eugene “Gene” Riley, formerly of Casper, WY and Bellevue, NE, passed away Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at the Western Nebraska Veterans Home in Scottsbluff, NE, going home to be with the love of his life, Frieda Riley. Memorial services will be held Friday, November 26 at 3 p.m. at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery Chapel. Dugan-Kramer Chapel in Scottsbluff, NE was in charge of the cremation. Interment will be held at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville, WY. Military honors will be conducted by the Wyoming National Guard.
Gene was born February 6, 1921 in Viroqua, WI to Frank Henry and Ruth Eleanor (Powell) Riley. As a small child, he went to live with his grandfather, Clarence Powell. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy May 14, 1941 and was discharged May 13, 1947. He served in the South Pacific on the U.S.S. Brazos, the YMS 117, the U.S.S. Talamanca, the YP414, the U.S.S. Adhara and the U.S.S. Gardiner’s Bay. Gene enlisted in the U.S. Air Force February 26, 1948 and retired July 1, 1967. He served at Ladd AFB, Chanute AFB, Lackland AFB, Keesler AFB, Wiesbaden AFB and Langley AFB.

Gene married Frieda Kathryn Schellhammer May 5, 1950 in Waukon. Following his retirement from the Air Force, Gene, Frieda and their daughters moved to Bellevue, NE. He went to work for the City of Bellevue, NE Street Department as their sign man. He was also a member of the Bellevue Volunteer Fire Department from 1968 until October 1985, when he retired for health reasons. Gene and Frieda enjoyed several visits in Germany with their daughter. Frieda preceded him in death March 23, 1998 and Gene then moved to Casper, WY to live with his daughter and her family. While in Casper, he was a regular volunteer at the Fort Casper Museum and attended the WWII group meetings at the Veterans Outreach Center. In September 2004 he moved to the Western Nebraska Veterans Home in Scottsbluff, NE. Gene was a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Post 2280, Bellevue, NE.
Gene loved history, jigsaw puzzles, making model airplanes and enjoyed fishing, camping and visiting National Parks and Historical Sites. As a child, his Grandpa Powell took him to the Little Big Horn Battlefield, Yellowstone National Park, the Black Hills, northern Wisconsin and numerous other locations.
He really enjoyed revisiting some of these locations while living in Casper, in addition to new places on family trips. He loved it when family came to visit with him and to share his stories.
Gene is survived by two daughters, Gayle (Bill) Little of Casper, WY and Debra (Bill) Rauch of Magstadt, Germany; three grandchildren, Patrick McCormick of Omaha, NE, Mandi (Cory) Crable of Billings, MT, and David (Beth) Little of Laramie, WY; two great-grandchildren, Ranal Christopher and Darrius Michael Crable; his half-sisters, Louise MacFarland, Elaine Hall and Bonnie Lewis; his half-brothers, Harold, Lawrence and Donald Rusk; and many cousins.
He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; his sister, Marcia McConnell; three half-sisters, Dorothy Geddes, and Carol and Shirley Rusk; and one half-brother, Clarence “Johnny” Rusk.
To honor his fond memories of travels with Grandpa Powell, the family will be donating memorials to Friends of the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Crow Agency, MT in Gene’s name.

The Waukon Standard, November 24, 2010