Betty Riley

Betty Riley, 72, of Iowa Falls, passed away Monday, August 28, 2023, at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City. Memorial services will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Iowa Falls. A time of fellowship and refreshment will be held at the church following the service. Woodley Funeral Home and Crematory of Iowa Falls is caring for Betty and her family.

Betty Jean Riley was born on December 5, 1950, to Raymond Carson and Geraldine Viola (Nielsen) Riley. Betty graduated from Iowa Falls High School class of 1969 and UNI with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting in 1973.

After a 32-year career at Ellsworth Municipal Hospital, Betty retired as Chief Financial Officer. Betty was a dedicated employee who cared about what she did and had many life-long friends from those years at the hospital.

Over the years, her family and friends were all recipients of her beautiful quilts. Her nieces and nephews have received a quilt on many occasions in their lives. Be it graduation, wedding, couch quilts, bed quilts, or baby quilts for their children. She also made t-shirt quilts using the kids’ school, band, and Scout shirts and made a quilt out of her sister Kathy’s tie-dye shirts. Her talent and passion for quilting was impressive. As quilters do, I suppose, Betty LOVED MATERIAL and the hunt for material. Betty and her friends went on many material shop excursions over the years.

Betty also enjoyed painting, cross stitching, whittling, collecting Boyds Bears polar bears, and making beautiful stuffed bears. She always stayed current and kept her mind sharp by putting puzzles together, Sudoku, Wordle, and reading.

Betty loved animals. Her dogs, over the years, were family to her, along with her cat. She loved her family and friends deeply and was very kind and generous with her time and talents. Family meant everything to her.

Betty Jean Riley is survived by two brothers, Dick Riley of Eldora and Gary (Lori) Riley of Iowa Falls, and their children, Josh (Jessica) of Blair, NE, and their daughters: Isla, Ember, and Margo, Jake (Mickey) of Ackley, IA, and their combined children: Kyzer, Blaine, Kolter, and Raelynn, Joey (Kaitlin) of Indianola, IA and their daughter Reagan; brother-in-law, Dean Walker of Forest City, IA and nieces, Tara (Alex) Haney of Scarville, IA and their children: Dylan and Emerson, Lacey Klemp of Clear Lake and her sons: Connor and Lincoln; nieces: Pam, Patti and Paula; nieces and nephews: Dawn, Danette, Donata, Dean, David and their mom, Dinah also own a piece of Betty’s heart. She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Geri, and sister, Kathy Walker.