Riley, William Howard (1892-1959)

RILEY, OHARE, HICKEY

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 3/5/2017 at 13:11:57

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, Wednesday, July 29, 1959

Howard (Happy) Riley, 66, a longtime resident of the Blairsburg community, died at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday at the Veterans hospital in Des Moines. He had been in ill health the past several years.

Funeral services will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic church in Williams with Msgr. A.A. Halbach of Webster City officiating. Burial will be in the St. Mary's cemetery at Williams.

Military services will be held at the cemetery.

Rosary will be at 8 o'clock tonight at the family home in Blairsburg. The body was taken late this afternoon from Foster's funeral home to the Riley home where it will lie in state until the time of services.

William Howard Riley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Riley, was born Oct. 28, 1892, at Peoria, Ill. When he was a small boy he moved with his parents to Iowa, locating at Boone. He received his education in the Boone schools and grew to young manhood in that community. He entered the armed services during World War I.

In 1920, he moved to Hamilton county to a farm near Williams. He was united in marriage April 6, 1921 to Margaret O'Hare, and Mr. and Mrs. Riley farmed for several years near Blairsburg, then moved into Blairsburg where he served as custodian of the Blairsburg schools for 17 years. Since 1948 he had been retired.

He is survived by his wife and three sons: Joseph Riley of Fort Dodge, James Riley of Blairsburg and Donald Riley of Blairsburg; eight grandchildren; one brother and one sister, John Bernard Riley of Boone and Mrs. Alpha Hickey of Rock Island, Ill.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Mr. Riley was a member of the St. Mary's church at Williams and was a member of the American Legion at Webster City.