Joplin Globe
Sunday, November 12, 2006 Lorraine Riley Lorraine Hammons Riley, a retired singer and voice teacher, 1220 East Fairview, Carthage, passed away Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, at 5:55 a.m. at the age of 99. She had lived in Joplin for 54 years before she moved in 2001, to St. Luke’s Nursing Center, Carthage, where she was tenderly cared for by a loving staff. She was born March 18, 1907, in Fairview, Mo., to Andrew Dolison Hammons and Sarah Adelia Larcher Hammons. The family moved to a farm north of Joplin, on Spring River, near Galesburg in 1920. Lorraine sang inspirational music in choirs, ensembles and as a soloist in churches of several Christian denominations for all of her life from the age of 3, when she learned to sing duets with her sister. She and her brother, Paul graduated from Webb City High School in the class of 1926. She attended Southwest Missouri State Teacher’s College, now Missouri State University in Springfield, for a year and a half. On Feb. 4, 1929, she married Perry Riley at the First Christian Church in Springfield and they established their home in Carthage, where their only child, Jacqueline Jean was born. In 1936, they moved to Kansas City, Mo., and Lorraine studied voice and classical singing for two years at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music, now a part of MU/KC. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Jacqueline and Elliott Potter, of rural Carthage; two grandchildren and spouses, Jamey and Darlene Potter, Portland, Ore., and Lisa and Matt Thomas, Flagstaff, Ariz.; and four great-grandchildren, Julian and Claire Potter, Portland and Paul and Anna Thomas, Flagstaff. From 1938 to 1949, Lorraine continued intensive voice, opera and concert training as her family moved to New York City, for several years and then to Long Beach, Calif., for five years. As a member of the New York Opera Company, she sang in Carnegie Hall in a production of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio. During World War II, she entertained with show tunes at New York’s Stage Door Canteen and the Hollywood Canteen in California. In 1942, at Camp Crowder, Mo., she starred in Babes in Toyland and appeared as a soloist with the Camp Crowder Symphony Orchestra. She sang and soloed as a choir member of Joplin’s First Presbyterian Church for 13 years beginning in the early 1950s and later she was song leader and soloist for 10 years at Unity of Joplin, where she retained her membership. She gave private voice lessons in Joplin and Carthage in the 1960s and 1970s and was twice featured as guest soloist with the Joplin Symphony Orchestra. Other memberships included the Tri-State Iris Society in which she and her husband won several first place awards, the Joplin Family Y and P.E.O., Chapter GQ, Joplin and later Chapter AP, Carthage. Her husband, Perry Riley died June 6, 1985, at the age of 91. She was also preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Juanita Hammons Wallower Carter; her brother, Paul Barnard Hammons; and her nephew, Charles Jay Hammons. Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Ulmer Funeral Home Chapel. All members of the P.E.O. Sisterhood will be seated as a group. Visitation will be Monday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Ulmer Funeral Home. Contributions in her memory may be made in care of Ulmer Funeral Home, 1208 South Garrison, Carthage, Mo., 64836, to St. Luke’s Nursing Center, Carthage, to Unity of Joplin, or to the Missouri Southern State University Mansion Restoration Fund. Published: Sunday, 2006/11-12 - Joplin Globe; Has photo.
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The Miller Family Tree is a collection of information gathered over the past 50+ years by Karleen & Tom Miller of Morrisville Pennsylvania, and Gale Honeyman of the Brethren Heritage Center. The html version was created by Eric Davis. |