Obituary of Gertrude Riley

Gertrude Newcomb Venable "Trudy" Riley, 98, of Iowa City died Sunday, August 30, 2015, under the compassionate care of the hospice staff at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, September 4 at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City. Visitation will be at 12:30 p.m. Burial will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Trudy's memory to Mercy Hospital Hospice, c/o Mercy Foundation. Online condolences may be sent to her family through www.gayandciha.com. Trudy was born December 2, 1916, in Augusta, Illinois, the daughter of Samuel Wesley and Mary Constance (Newcomb) Venable. Following high school, she attended college, graduating from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Trudy taught elementary school in the Augusta area, and in Lander, Wyoming in a one-room schoolhouse. On October 16, 1943, she was united in marriage to Dr. Edgar F. Riley Jr. in Augusta. The couple lived in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II, then moved to Iowa City, where Edgar completed his PhD and began teaching at the University of Iowa. Trudy cared for her family during these years on the home front, with four kids and all the activities of being the wife of a university professor. She was passionate and intentional in everything she did. In addition to being a mom, she was active in Daughters of the American Revolution, Republican Women, University Women, Pro-America, political campaigns, was a Girl Scout leader, active in the former First Presbyterian Church and was one of the early members of the new St. Andrew Presbyterian Church more than 50 years ago. She loved her country, loved her family and was thankful for every moment of her life. Her family includes her four children, Mary Lilly (John) of Minneapolis, Jean Shaffer (Robert) of Iowa City, John Riley (Ann) of Mequon, WI, and Patricia Riley of Africa; 11 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren, one of whom was born on her 98th birthday. Trudy was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and sister, Connie Venable.