Oliver S. Reiley 1899-1953

REILEY

Posted By: Bill Reiley (email)
Date: 10/4/2006 at 23:34:06

Red Oak Sun
Dec. 24, 1953

Rites Tuesday For Oliver Reiley

Funeral services were held Tuesday, December 22, at 3 P.M. at the Congregational Church for Oliver Reiley, 54, who died Sunday in Des Moines from a gastric hemorrhage. He had been ill four weeks following an operation for removal of a part of his stomach.
Rev. Phillip VanLuven was the officiating minister. Flower bearers were Mrs. Roy Westerlund, Mrs. B.M. Lee, Mrs. Marion Thomas and Mrs. Claude Ashby. Ushers were R. John Swanson and Cole Houghton.
Honorary bearers were Don Boyle, Jack Wright, Steve Fifield, Stanley Dunn, T.C. Murphy, Fred Seeman, Charles Burns, Adolph Weber, Paul Wheeler, Henry Heckart, Dale Clements, F.E. O’Malley, George Harshaw, H.C. Houghton Jr.
Active bearers were Don Gell, Claude Ashby, Jeff Wambaugh, Marion Thomas, Carl Newquist and Roy Westerlund. Burial was in Evergreen Cemetery. The Sellergren Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Oliver Smith Reiley, son of Dr. W.S. and Edna Reiley, was born March 13, 1899, in Red Oak. He was a graduate of Red Oak high school and attended the University of Iowa. He served in World War I with Company M of Red Oak. He twice served as Secretary of the Red Oak Chamber of Commerce, and resigned from that position in 1952 to take the position of field director of the United Fund of Iowa. He moved then to Des Moines and had lived there since that time.
Mr. Reiley was for six years a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa National Guard. He served as exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge in Red Oak, was commander of the Lorraine Post , American Legion, and was secretary-treasurer for a number of the July 4 celebrations put on by the post. He had also served as seventh district commander and state vice-commander, American Legion, and held office in the 40&8, fun organization of the American Legion. He also held membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and Last Man’s Club. He was a Mason and a member of the First Congregational church of Red Oak.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret; a son William; his mother, Mrs. W.S. Reiley; and a brother and sister, Robert J. Reiley of Red oak and Mrs. Edna Salisbury of San Francisco, Cal.