Bessie Elowese Graham Riley, 84, went to be with her Lord on February 20, 2021.
Funeral Services are at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24, at Culpepper Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow at New Hope Cemetery. Reverend Barry Corbett will officiate the services.
Visitation is Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Culpepper Funeral Home.
Mrs. Riley was born May 20, 1936, in the county of Attala, just outside of Ethel, MS, to James Fonzo and Bessie Love Squires Graham.
She attended Ethel School where she graduated in 1954. She married Jack Donald Riley in August of 1954. They were married for 47 ½ years.
The couple spent several tours while in the army which included living in several states including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Germany, Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi before retiring in 1970 and returning to Mississippi.
Mrs. Riley was the mother of two sons. Kenneth Jack was born while they were serving in Colorado in the army and James Kevin was born in Mississippi.
Mrs. Riley worked for J.C. Penney, Sunflower, Miss. Fabric, Sears, and Kosciusko Medical Clinic. She retired with 22 ½ years working with the Kosciusko Medical Clinic.
She was a member of Kosciusko Baptist Church in Kosciusko, MS.
Mrs. Riley loved to sew, do crafts and quilt. She belonged to the Lady Landowner’s Club, Eastern Star and volunteered at Natchez Trace Welcome Center. She devoted herself to her husband, sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Riley is survived by her son, James Kevin (Denise) Riley; grandchildren, Wesley (Mary Ann), Chad (Cameron), Justin (Chelsea), Donny (Amy), Charlie (Kayla), and Nikki Riley, Gina Dampier; and great grandchildren, Isaiah Norwood, Portia, Dalton, Nora, Liza, and River Riley and Jessie Dampier with another one on the way; niece, Sherry Holloway (Randy); great-niece, Mandy Harrell; great-great-niece, Alexandria Swilley.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Jack; son, Ken; her father and mother; brother, James Walker (J.W.); sister, Wilma McCool; brother-in-law, Aaron McCool; nephews, Donald (Donnie) and Randy McCool; great-nephew, Andy Thweatt; and her grandparents, the Grahams and Squires.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, great grandsons, great nephew Breck Riley and Louis Crowe.
Please visit culpepperfuneralhome.com for online condolences.
