Frances Marie Riley

Frances Marie Riley was born into this world on July 21, 1926, in the city of Belle Plain, Kansas. Frances was preceded in death by her parents, Lewis and Grace Oldham; three of her younger siblings, Arleta Mae, Erickson, and George Earl; and son Arthur Tom Riley. She is survived by her husband of over 69 years, Casey Tom Riley, her sister Thelma Grace Winters, and her daughter Christine Aletha Riley. Frances was received into the arms of her Lord and Savior on January 21, 2015. Near the age of one year old, Frances’ family moved to China as missionaries of the Gospel, spending some time in Hong Kong, but mostly in Canton. During those six years in China, Frances grew up learning to speak both Cantonese and English, although Cantonese was her primary language. In 1933, her family returned to the United States, locating in Morrilton, Ark. In 1937, they moved to Seattle, Washington, where Frances attended F.A. McDonald Elementary School and graduated from Lincoln High School, in 1942. She, then began attending the University of Seattle, where after a short time, she met a young Navy man at church named, Casey Tom Riley, and she chose to pursue him, instead of a college degree. They were married in Seattle, Washington on August 26, 1946, by her father, Lewis Oldham. In 1950, Frances and Casey moved to Grand Prairie, Texas, which remained their home town, even unto this day. Frances was a devoted and faithful Christian, serving her Lord as a member of the Church of Christ in Grand Prairie for 65 years. At church, she was involved in maintaining the Children’s Media Center, and she served as the secretary and active member of the Foreign Missions Committee.Frances and Casey loved to travel, often visiting and encouraging missionaries in foreign countries. Their travels took them to Mexico, Spain, England, France, Belgium, Sweden, and the Caribbean. But, her favorite destination by far, was Hawaii, where she and Casey went multiple times. Frances excelled as a career woman, working 52 years at the Smith and Warder Architecture business. She was originally hired on as a ‘Secretary’, but after a few years, she was referred to as the ‘Office Manager’, which was understood by all as a code-phrase for ‘the one who really keeps things going around here’. In her ‘spare’ time, she was also an independent seller of Studio Girl cosmetics. And, in her earlier years, she enjoyed hobbies of knitting and sewing. Frances was a devoted wife and mother, and together with her husband Casey, was involved in multiple charitable, benevolent, and care-giving initiatives. She was very intelligent, quiet, hard-working, and always filled with a gentle and kind-hearted spirit. She enriched the lives of many, and in turn, she will be missed many. Truly, this world’s loss, is heaven’s gain.