Mary Naslund Riley

Mary De Lis Naslund was born at home on September 30, 1935, to Francys and Arthur Naslund of Faith, South Dakota. Her middle name, which means “lily” in French, was chosen to honor Lillian Morgan, her maternal grandmother.

Growing up on the prairie, Mary loved animals–especially her pet dog, cat, lamb and horse. She competed in rodeos as a barrel racer and was a rodeo queen. As a Faith High School student, she worked at the Farmers State Bank and won first place in the humorous category of the state declamation contest.

Mary attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins for two  years, then earned a degree in elementary education at the University of Wyoming.

She married her high school sweetheart, Jim Riley, on August 4, 1957. They moved to Crawford, NE where she taught kindergarten, and he was a basketball coach. Jim’s coaching career took them next to Norfolk, NE, where they were blessed with three children, David, Lynn, and Kevin. The Rileys moved to Omaha in 1967, then on to Lincoln in 1970.

Always a woman of faith, Mary was an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. She was active, and held offices in, the Altar Society and Legion of Mary (where she was a Curia), and she co-founded the Perpetual Adoration ministry. Mary and Jim hosted  SINE (a prayer and evangelization group) in their home for many years. During her time in Lincoln, Mary was an active member of PEO, local chapter DM.

Mary was also involved with the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, joining the “Pink Sisters” in prayer and taking them to appointments. In addition, she attended her children’s many activities and walked, played bridge and entertained with many friends.

Shortly after Jim passed in 2019, Mary was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia with progressive aphasia, a condition that affected her ability to speak and understand language. In 2020, she moved to The Cottages in Pella, IA to receive care and be close to her daughter, a nurse.

Mary exemplified 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." She faced her physical, mental, and emotional challenges with grace, never losing her love for people, animals, and the Lord. Mary enjoyed the many activities at The Cottages, as well as going out for ice cream and to view Pella’s beautiful tulips.

Mary’s family and. the staff and hospice workers of Hearthstone  were by her side during her final days. She passed peacefully to heaven on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.

Mary is survived by her children David (Michelle) Riley of Indianapolis, IN; Lynn (Mark) Cooper of Pella, IA; and Kevin (Anne) of Eagle, NE; her sister Lois Doyle of Vermillion, SD; and her sister-in-law Mitzi Riley of Aledo, TX.

Mary was known as "Mimi” to her grandchildren Lauren Cooper, Riley (Christina) Cooper, Rose (Dylann) Pinkman, Father Luke Fleck, and Hannah (Andrew) Curran, and great-grandchildren Max and Ollie Pinkman. Her survivors also include several nieces and nephews.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husband Jim; grandchildren Christopher James Riley, Theresa Anne Riley, and

Mary Mildred Riley; and several nieces and nephews. Her sisters-in-law Geraldine Sims, Carolyn (Ben) Brooks and Dorothy (Jimmy) Randalls; and brothers-in-law Harold Riley, Doyle (Virginia) Riley, Lanham Riley and Jack Doyle also preceded her.

Visitation:

Wednesday, Nov. 9 with family present: 5-7 p.m. with Rosary at 7 p.m. St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1940 South 77th Street, Lincoln, NE

Mass of Christian Burial:

Thursday, Nov. 10 at 10:30 a.m. St. Joseph Catholic Church Interment at Calvary Cemetery

Memorial contributions may be made to the family and designated for either the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual  Adoration (Pink Sisters) or frontotemporal lobe degeneration research.

Condolences can be sent to www.bmlfh.com Butherus, Maser & Love Funeral Home will be handling the arrangements.