Robert Harman RILEY

RILEY, REASONER, LOVE, STINER

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/25/2009 at 12:16:38

Oberlin Herald
Oberlin, Decatur County, Kansas
February 13, 1913

OBITUARY - ROBERT H. RILEY

Robert H[arman] Riley was born October 5, 1829, in Marion County, Ohio. He moved to Ringgold County, Iowa in 1865, then to Decatur County, Kansas in 1873. He was one of the first settlers to bring a family to the lonesome, windswept prairies of the frontier, the land that Coronado had declared worthless and left to the Indians and buffalo. He homesteaded the farm now owned by Mr. REASONER. Later he procured the farm now owned by [his son] W. L. RILEY, and later moved to Oberlin, where his helpmate [Rachel (LOVE)], weakened by her years of toil and hardship in this new country, left him in his declining years for the promised land beyond the stars. After the death of his wife he moved to Superior, Nebraska, where he spent the remainder of his life with his son Robert. He departed this life February 5, 1913, at the ripe old age of 84 years and 4 months. He leaves to mourn his death five children, Lorah (sic, should be Sarah) Ellen STINER, W. L. Riley, J. V. RILEY, Hamilton A. RILEY, and Robert RILEY. The remains was brought to Oberlin and interred in the Oberlin Cemetery Thursday, February 6, 1913, funeral services being conducted by Reverend CLARK, at the Presbyterian church.

He is not dead but sleepeth,
His sould has passed away,
But we shall meet and know him,
On resurrection day.
His soul is safe with Jesus,
Who died upon the cross,
And knowing this,we mortals
Can better bear the loss.

NOTE: Rachel (LOVE) RILEY was born October 30, 1830, and died May 15, 1908. James C. B. RILEY, son of Rachel (LOVE) and Robert Harman RILEY, died at the age of 24 years, 6 months and two days on May 15, 1877 with interment at Oberlin Cemetery, Decatur County, Kansas.

Sarah Ellen (RILEY) STINER, daughter of Rachel (LOVE) and Robert Harman RILEY, wife of John STINER (1849- ?), was born in 1851, and died in 1921 with interment at Oberlin Cemetery, Oberlin, Decatur County, Kansas.

Robert Harman RILEY's biography was published in the Biographical and History of Ringgold County, Iowa in 1887.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2009