Mrs. Evelyn Montgomery Riley's Obituary
Evelyn Montgomery Riley was born on July 22, 1947 in Durant, Mississippi, the second child born to Johnnie Dean and Helen Montgomery.
Evelyn Riley received her angel wings on her 78th birthday on July 22, 2025 at MercyOne Hospital of natural causes. She accepted Christ as her personal Savior at an early age and worked out her soul salvation at Payne African Methodist Episcopal Church.
She attended school in Waterloo, Iowa and in 1965 she graduated from Waterloo East High School. Upon graduation she married Wyoddie Love that same year. They later divorced and on June 21, 1987, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa she married Eddie Charles Riley.
Evelyn held various jobs in Waterloo and Chicago. She was a hard worker, and she started her final career at John Deere Waterloo Operations for 30 years. Upon retirement she still delivered the Waterloo Courier. She then decided it’s time to enjoy retirement. She loved to travel, and she and Charles spent time on various trips with their two sons and nephews. They attended and hosted Family Reunions on both the Riley side and the Montgomery side. Mississippi was a given trip every year Thanksgiving.
During her younger years she sang in the Choir under Sis. Ada Treadwell along with her childhood bestie, Hattie Delores Holmes. She served faithfully here at Payne. She convinced her sister Betty to work in the kitchen and when Betty became disabled, she assumed the torch. Whatever she was asked to do, she did it with joy. Under the Pastoral leadership of Rev. Joseph Baring, she became a Class Leader. It was a position that she dearly loved. The members of her class loved her, and she loved them. Even when she was ill herself she made sure they got their bulletin every week whether it was Danny or me delivering them. During COVID-19 she delivered bulletins and Communion under Pastor Thomas Flint.
Evelyn had a mission in life to take care of others. She took care of her family, her friends’ parents, and her church family. If you were good, you would get pecan tarts and chocolate candy. She loved to travel. But she loved to shop! You could tell that by how she dressed. A lot of us here today were recipients of her shopping. She loved to shop at what we call the Goodwill and she called “GW” boutique! She helped a lot of people on her life’s journey, not just with her family but college students, needy families, and, yes, some greedy families.
She is survived by her loving husband of 38 years, Eddie Charles Riley; a son, Derrick Riley; two sisters, Johnnie Mae (Earl) Thomas; an adopted sister, Maxine (Anthony) Tisdale; two brothers, Danny (JoAnn) Montgomery, Sr., all of Waterloo and Oscar Anderson, Jr. of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Eight grandchildren, Shelby Joe Riley, Anessa Riley, Korbin Riley, Kall Riley, Kameron Riley, Alex Boyer, Ornella Mehdeh, and Ella Mehdeh. Two special childhood “besties,” Aleta Alexander and Hattie Delores Holmes; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and sisters-in-love and brothers-in-love.
She was preceded in death by both her parents; a son, Bryan Riley; two sisters, Betty Moore and Ruby Collins; a nephew, Michael Moore; and a special niece, Katrinna S. Montgomery.
The Sanders Service
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