Joseph R. & Mary E. (Callicott) Riley, I have been deeply touched.
I have decided to make this page into a small Tribute to this family which faced so-much adversity
through the tragic loss of loved ones.
My older son, Michael and his wife Kathi, suffered the loss of their first-born to SIDS at 11 weeks, that was very, very difficult.
This couple had to face the tragic loss of six children, age 5 and younger!
I cannot even begin to fathom what it would be like to endure such terrible tragedy.
Even now, over one-hundred years later, my heart still goes out to them.
Here are the tombstones of these children as found in the Riley Family Cemetery:
The Tombstone of: Mary & Alice Riley Twins
(Born: 23 Jul 1884, Alice Died: 16 Sep 1884; Mary Died: 19 Sep 1884)
This is a four-sided stone with inscriptions on three sides.
This, the front, reads: "Our Twins" dau of J.R. & M.E. Riley
Inscription reads: Alice,
Died 16 Sep 1884, Aged 1M 24D,
Inscription reads: Mary,
Died 19 Sep 1884, Aged 1M 27D,
The Tombstone of: Roy & Washie Riley
(Washie, Born: 26 Jul 1885, Died: 29 Sep 1886)
(Roy, Born: 17 Aug 1890, Died: 28 Aug 1892)
This is a four-sided stone with inscriptions on three sides.
This, the front, reads: Our Sons Children of J.R. & M.E. Riley
Inscription reads: Washie,
Died 29 Sep 1886, Aged 1Y 2M 3D
(Washie is likely short for Washington, his maternal grandfather's name)
Inscription reads: Roy,
Died 28 Aug 1892, Aged 2Y 11D
The Tombstone of: Edna Riley
(Born: 28 Nov 1883, Died: 3 Jul 1889)
Inscription reads: Edna - dau of J. & M.E. Riley,
Died 3 Jul 1889, Aged 5Y 7M 5D,
"Beautiful, lovely, She was but given,
A fair bud to earth to blossom in heaven"
The Tombstone of: "Baby" Riley
(Born & Died: 25 Apr 1903)
Inscription reads: Our darling infant daughter of J. & M.E. Riley,
25 Apr 1903,
"Baby"
(apparently born & died the same day)
This is the last child of this family found in the Riley Family Cemetery
Some researchers concluded that this was the last child for this couple
but that was not the case, as we find in the Callicott Cemetery, located a couple of miles away.
Where we learn that Joseph & Mary had one more child, a daughter named Pearl, b. 22 Aug, 1905.
She did live to adulthood, but still died very young (28y,1m, 24d) on 15 Oct, 1933.
She rests between her parents in the Callicott Cemetery
Here are the tombstones found in the Callicott Cemetery:
(Click on image for larger version)
The Tombstone of: Pearl Riley Kouba, b. 22 Aug 1905, d. 15 Oct 1933
with her father, Joseph, b. 17 Dec 1857 d. 11 Feb 1928, on the left &
Mother, Mary, b. 13 June 1861 d. ??? on the right
Closeup of picture of Pearl found on the tombstone
Also located nearby: The Tombstone of: Joseph Riley Jr., b. 1890, d. 1951 The Tombstone of: Millard Riley, d. 1942 The Tombstone of: "Maggie" Riley, b.1888 d. 1925
Son of Joseph & Mary
Possible son of Joseph & Mary
Possible daughter of Joseph & Mary
I have no information on this person, at this time,
(Including her given-name, as "Maggie" would appear to be a nick-name)
youngest daughter, Pearl, in 1933, (& possibly another daughter in 1925, as well.)
Amid the times of the deaths of her children she also faced the
sudden drowning deaths of her parents, Washington C. & Mary Jane Harrelson Callicott
in the Shawneetown flood on 8 Apr 1898
The Tombstone of: Washington C Callicott, & Mary Jane Harrelson Callicott
Parents of Mary E Callicott Riley
(Historical Note)
The Shawneetown Flood was a result of extremely heavy rains way up in the Ohio River Valley.
These waters swept down the Ohio River upon an unsuspecting Shawneetown, arriving at night,
resulting in the deaths of a number of residents.
Shawneetown lies just below where the Ohio & Wabash rivers converge.
Shawneetown was later rebuilt on nearby higher ground.