Wilda Mae Reviere Riley

January 21, 1921 - November 17, 2012

Wilda Mae Reviere Riley, 91, died peacefully Saturday, Nov. 17, at Riverside Medical Center with her family by her side. She was born Jan. 21, 1921 at the family home in the Poplarhead, Miss. community. She was the sixth of 10 children of Hester Strahan Reviere and Willie Richard Reviere. The Revieres were of Scotch, Irish and French descent and were some of the earliest settlers in Washington Parish. They grew cotton and farmed land in the Poplarhead community. She and the other Reviere children attended a one-room schoolhouse at Springhill. Each of the children made their homes in Washington Parish and remained here throughout their lives. Mr. Reviere died of cancer leaving his wife with nine young children and expecting the youngest. At the age of 17, she married William Whitcomb Riley. They dairyed and lived at the Red Bateman property and later made their home in Bogalusa. They raised five children and were members of Westside Emmanual Baptist Church and later Union Avenue Baptist Church where Mrs. Riley remained a member until her death. She was a member of the Homemakers Sunday School Class for more than 50 years. She and Mr. Riley both worked for Crown Zellerbach. The couple looked forward each year to long vacations to the mountains and through the Shenandoah Valley. The couple had dreamed of retiring to the mountains in Cloudland Canyon. After Mr. Riley passed away in 1967 she never remarried and dedicated her life to her children, grandchildren and large extended family. She and her siblings were always very close and never missed an opportunity to get together. She loved traveling and was affectionately called Willie Nelson because she was always "On the Road Again." Her greatest pleasures in life were those trips to visit the grandchildren, children, nieces and nephews. She was fortunate to travel all over the South and out West. One of her most memorable trips was snorkeling with the stingrays in the Cayman Islands with her grandsons and great-grandchildren when she was in her late 70s. She was an avid gardener and fisherman and looked forward each year to family reunions at the Washington Parish Fair. This October she was thrilled to be well enough to watch another fair parade roll down Main Street with a collection of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She told family members she felt especially blessed to sit with them on the banks of Miles Branch enjoying cheese and crackers and sassafrass tea. Some of the happiest memories for all her grandchildren, nieces and nephews were the all night games of Dominoes and Phase 10. Survivors include her children, Earline Hughes, John Riley and Mary Abbott; a sister, Myrt Magee; grandchildren, Duane Riley, Dave Riley, Darrin Riley, Dennis Harris, Will Riley, Wendy R. Bott, Ashley Riley, John Eric Riley, Josh Riley, Todd Fields, Tammy Knapp, Tina Boudreaux, Shelia Morley, Shannon Jenkins and Woody Hughes Jr.; a son-in-law, Woodrow Hughes Sr.; special former daughters-in-law, Frances Stanga, Liz Jenkins and Deloris Duncan Riley; 25 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband; her eldest son, William Riley Jr.; a daughter, Janet Marie Graham; a grandson, Ray Everett Riley; a great-grandson, Micah C. Riley; brothers, Clarence and Wince; and sisters, Inez Luper, Bessie Carpenter, Bevie Luper, Emmazell Sumrall, Aline Primes and Willie Jenkins. Her great-nephew, Bro. Lerand Hunt, conducted funeral services in the Brown-McGehee Funeral Home Chapel in Bogalusa Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m., following visitation Monday night and Tuesday morning. Burial was in the family plot at Hillview Memorial Gardens in Bogalusa. Her grandsons served as pallbearers and her great-grandsons served as honorary pallbearers. Family and friends may view and sign the on-line guest book at www.brownmcgehee.com.