Riley, Mary Jane Wells (1862-1944)

RILEY, WELLS, YOUNG, SCHWEPPE, ADAMS, VULGAMOTT

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 4/28/2017 at 15:46:11

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, Tuesday, July 25, 1944

DIES TUESDAY AT HOSPITAL

Services Thursday for Mrs. Mary Jane Riley, Age 81

Mrs. Mary Jane Riley, 81, widely known resident of the Stanhope community, died Tuesday morning at the hospital in this city, where she had been a patient the past two weeks. Death was caused by complications following a stroke.

Funeral services will be held Thursday at 2 o'clock at the Stanhope Christian church, preceded by a brief service at 1:30 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Edward Young, three miles northeast of Stanhope. The Rev. C.F. Schmidt will officiate, burial in Lawn Hill cemetery, Foster's in charge.

Daughter of Alec and Fannie Wells, Mary Jane Wells was born Nov. 28, 1862 on a farm near Carrollton, Ohio. As a small child she came to Iowa with her parents in the days when the covered wagon was the principal means of transportation.

The family lived on a farm in Davis county until, when she was 10 years old, they moved to this county, to a place near Kamrar. She attended the schools in that community and grew to young womanhood there.

Sept. 10, 1884, she was married to Herbert E. Riley and they first made their home on a farm east of Kamrar, until 1888, when they moved to near Stanhope. In 1892 they purchased and moved to the farm, three miles northeast of Stanhope. They retired 20 years later and moved into Stanhope.

Mr. Riley died in 1923. Also preceding Mrs. Riley in death were her parents, two sons, Raymond, who died in 1921, and Ransom, in 1932, three brothers and two sisters.

She is survived by four daughters, Mrs. George Schweppe of Webster City, Mrs. Ethel Adams of Mason City, Mrs. J.T. Vulgamott, also of this city, and Mrs. Young of Stanhope. There are 14 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

Four brothers also survive, M.R. Wells of Alden, Oliver of Jewell, Cyrus of Fort Dodge and Ermen of Des Moines.

Mrs. Riley was baptized in the Christian faith and was a member of the Stanhope Christian church where she was active in the work of the ladies' aid and in the Sunday school, teaching for 12 years in the primary department.

A good friend and neighbor, Mrs. Riley will be long remembered as a cheerful loyal worker in all she undertook to do. In a life that was rich and full she devoted her greatest interests and energies to her home and family and her church as a loving mother and a staunch Christian.