Linda Marie Riley: July 2, 1957 – October 22, 2010

Earlier today, I helped in the burial and memorial of my mother-in-law.

The following is the eulogy that Diana delivered, which her and I wrote:

Linda lived a life that was filled with many points of struggle and hardship; however at the end she had received so much in reward for the obstacles she had faced.

Linda Sue McKinney was born into this world in 1957. Her birth parents being unable to care for her, she was eventually placed into an orphanage. There, approximately a year later, she was given a new life with a family looking to adopt and give a beautiful baby girl the chance for a better life. Lin Marie Buege became her name, and she found a happier and healthier home in Lombard, Illinois.

Even though Lin loved her family so much, she believed that she should make a journey and seek out her biological parents. At age 16, Lin left her schooling, picked up a few jobs, and trekked to New York then Florida to find her birth father and mother.

While in Florida, Lin married and had her first daughter, Celena Easters. Tragically, six months after having given birth, Lin was faced with one of the hardest things a person can do—something we are now facing—losing a loved one. Celena was buried in Florida, and sometime later Lin and her husband separated. This tragedy, however, did help lead the way to some better days. Linda eventually met Mark Richardson, and the two moved to Kentucky, where they eventually had three children—Diana Dawn Richardson, Mark Douglas Richardson, and Angelica Michelle Richardson.

Though she had finally found herself with the ability to settle and have a family of her own, times were still very difficult. Eventually the stresses of hardship became too much for the relationship that Linda and Mark had, and they separated but kept a close friendship. Over time, after having believed that her heart would never feel for anyone that close again, she found that God had sent her an angel to save her.

Around the year 1997, Linda met Wm. Fred Riley. Fred, being a man of great heart, shared as much as he could with Linda and her children. Over the next few years, their friendship and love for another grew, and they were eventually wed in October of 2001. Together, Linda and Fred became Nana and Papaw to ten wonderful grandchildren. Together, they even helped to raise one granddaughter, Mariah, in their home, fulltime.

In these later years, Linda had found so much love and happiness—she had finally been given her reward for having a hard life. She had found so much love and joy; and shared as much of it that she could with all of us.

Family gatherings on holidays or just for fun; grandchildren’s parties at home, in the park, or across the county; barbecues and cook-outs; phone calls talking us through our own hard-times; even a simple morning cup of coffee and sharing a little bit of gossip—Linda shared her love and time with us; tried to stand by all of us; always tried to give us all that she could. Linda was there for us, and is still here with us, in our hearts and our thoughts.

Someone once said “grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you there.”

That is how Linda—that is how Nana—that is how Mom would want us to remember her. She would want us to laugh, to joke and to speak like she was with us.

Mom, I feel you beside me, and even though I will miss you every day, I will try to speak of you with a smile on my face and not a tear in my eye.

An online obituary is available for viewing at:
http://www.woodheadfuneralhome.com