Carolyn Margaret Riley, aka Mom, Granny, Sis, Aunt
Carolyn, passed away peacefully at her home in Bellmead, TX on December 10,
2020. Carolyn was born in Spokane, Washington on February 17, 1934 to Elmer
Delbert Richardson and Lucille Weaver Richardson. She was raised by her mother
and loving second father, Clyde Kuykendall.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Joe Cavender Riley;
sister, Charlene Kosanke; sister, Dorene Struchen; brother, Gary Richardson;
daughters, Judith Anne Beldin and Sherri Riley Holloman; and the loving father
of her children, Kenneth Maurice Beldin.
Carolyn is survived by daughter, Diana (Tom)
Sprott; son, Kenneth Michael (Jo Lynn) Beldin; daughter, Susan Campbell;
daughter, Lisa (Robert) Warren; daughter, Karen (Sam) Hendricks; daughter Mary
Ann Riley; sister, Claudia (Jerry) O'Connor; and brother Chuck (Sandra)
Kuykendall.
She was a loving Granny and Great-Granny to Garrett
Sprott, Grant (Leah) Sprott, Cody (Sara) Campbell (Davis and Ezra), Joshua
Campbell (Cannon and Kinlee), Justin (Amanda) McLean (Braydin, Alyssa, Calli
Mae), Paige (James) Bailey (Riley, Blaze, Reed), Cassie Chaney, Mike (Susanne)
Wills (Alyssa and Jacob), Melanie (JP) Eaker (Hannah and Holly), Wendi Windrow
(Stephan, Kevin, and Gavin), Misti Murphy, Casey Switzer (Michael and Savannah)
and an Aunt to numerous nieces and nephews.
When Carolyn wasn't busy raising children, she
was working as a nurse or volunteering at her church. She spent 35+ years working as a nurse,
finishing her career at Providence Hospital, where she was one of the nurses
that helped open the Cardiac unit at the new hospital, she was well known and
admired. In her retirement, she was
active within the Salvation Army Waco Corp where she for many years played a
baritone horn in the band, worked with the youth, volunteered at the VA
Hospital, worked the annual Christmas toy drive and much more. Carolyn made a profession of faith at the
young age of eleven and for 75 years was a faithful member of the Salvation
Army except for a three-year period spent in Tokyo, Japan and three years in
Morocco, North Africa, during her husband's tours of duty with the United
States Air Force, where she attended the Protestant services on the base.
Mom loved attending any activity her
grandchildren and/or great-grandchildren were involved in ranging from T-Ball,
baseball, football and/or soccer to band or dance recitals. Anywhere her
grandchildren/great-grandchildren where is where she preferred to be.
Mom was a strong, determined and fiercely
independent woman. We will miss her every day.
.
Special thanks to the wonderful doctors and
nurses at Providence Hospital, then subsequently Providence Hospice that
provided Mom with excellent care and love in her final days. A heartfelt thanks
to mom's niece Jeanette Routh who assisted the family in their hour of need.
Visitation will be held Sunday, December 13,
2020 from 2:00-4:00. A Promotion to Glory Service will be Monday, December 14,
2020 at 1:00, both will be at the Bellmead Funeral Home, 809 Laclede, Bellmead,
TX. Interment will follow at the Axtell Cemetery, 274 N. 4th Street,
Axtell, TX 76624
COVID-19 protocol will be followed, and a mask
will be required.
The family is requesting that in lieu of
flowers memorials be given to the Waco Salvation Army Food Bank, 4721 W. Waco
Drive, Waco, TX 76710; Providence
Hospice, 6700 Sanger Avenue, Waco, TX
76710; or a charity of your choice.