Obituary of Lolita L. Riley

After almost 90 years of “a life well lived”, our dear mother, Lolita Lorine Riley died Monday, September 9.  Mom was born in a little farmhouse in Millersburg, Iowa on Christmas Eve 1929, the first child for Theodore Roosevelt and Lorine Lydia Hinrichs Calvert.  She is survived by her siblings Joan Carter, Gene Calvert, and Linda Bennett. 

As the oldest child, mom learned the meaning of hard work early in life, helping her dad with the chores on the farm.  Mom was raised by loving parents who taught her so many wonderful things about life and family, which she so carefully shared with her children and grandchildren.  The phrase “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” was required as she grew up on the farm during the Great Depression and will be echoed by her posterity for generations to come.  From this experience, throughout mom’s life she could always make do with what she had. She was quite skilled at so many things—building, gardening, canning, quilting, sewing, painting, and so on. She could repair, decorate, or build most anything.

Mom attended a one-room schoolhouse and high school in Iowa, where she finished teacher training, desiring to be a one-room schoolteacher like her mother was.  When she went to take the State exam to be a teacher she was too young.    Mom met her first love, Elbert W. Barnhurst in Hatch, Utah and they were later married.  Together they had three sons, first twins, David and Duane, and Larry.  It was when Larry was a baby mom read the Book of Mormon while rocking him at night and gained a testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was baptized in the Old Rock Chapel, Cedar City, Utah.

She later met and married Phillip H. Riley, a young soldier from South Carolina serving at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada.  Shortly after their first child was born, a daughter, Rhonda, Phil was honorably discharged from the Air Force, and Mom, Dad, the three boys, and their new baby sister headed across country, moving to South Carolina. It was in dad’s hometown of Orangeburg that he became a member of the Church and together our family grew in the Gospel.    The family eventually settled in West Columbia/Lexington and another baby girl, Brenda joined the family.   It was in this area that mom lived the remainder of her life and enjoyed being surrounded by family, church family, and friends until a year ago when she moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho to a retirement community near Duane, the oldest son, and his family.  She enjoyed this special time with Duane and Debbie, their children and grandchildren, and many others who came to visit.

Throughout mom’s life, family always came first.  She also spent many years waitressing, helping dad with the Riley’s Home Improvements business, doing Census taking, and in her later life was a field interviewer for governmental Healthcare studies that helped make a lot of needed changes to the Medicare system.  She was a great interviewer and became friends with families all up and down the East coast she had interviewed and kept in touch with many for years. 

Mom held many service positions in the Church, but is probably most-known for being a Seminary teacher in the West Columbia area for 25 years.  Each of her own children, as well as countless other youth were blessed to have her as a teacher, example, and friend who helped each learn the Gospel, gain a love for the Scriptures, and strengthen their testimonies.

Mom was preceded in death by her sons, Larry Barnhurst and David Barnhurst, her daughter, Brenda Croft, ex-husband Phil Riley, and grandson, Brad Barnhurst.  She is survived by son Duane (Debbie) Barnhurst of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Daughter Rhonda (Lee) Harbor of Lexington, son-in-law David Croft of Farmington, Utah,  daughters-in-law Donna Barnhurst-Odum of St. Matthews, and Elaine Sumner of Ogden, Utah, 15 grandchildren, 45 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren. 

We lost part of our mother a few years ago when dementia set in, but to her very last breath mom was a faithful and true servant of our Savior Jesus Christ.  She continued to be an example of faith and found opportunities daily to share her testimony and express her undying love to family, friends, and all she met, as we know she loved everyone and never met a stranger.  Mom was the most grateful person we knew.  She constantly expressed such gratitude for all the little simple things in life and we hope to follow that great example of always being thankful and enjoying the beauties all around us.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 21 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2224 Augusta Highway, Lexington.  A viewing will be held from 9:30 – 11:00 am. The funeral will follow at 11:30. Internment will then take place at Celestial Memorial Gardens, 3111 Delree Street, West Columbia.  Thompson Funeral home of Lexington is assisting the family

In lieu of flowers, please take a few minutes to reach out and do something thoughtful for someone or a family who may be struggling with health issues.  We very much appreciate all who have been so kind and loving to our mother and to each of us, her family.