Joan Riley

Joan Riley, of Montevideo, died Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at the Clara City Care Center at the age of 88.

A prayer service is being held for Joan at Salem Lutheran Church on Tuesday, April 14th at 10 am followed by interment at Sunset Memorial Cemetery at 10:45 am. A reception will be held at Salem Lutheran Church following the interment. The family asks that any donations made in memory of Joan go to the Montevideo Veterans Home or to Salem Lutheran Church for their carillon.

Joan Riley was born June 8th, 1937 to Roger and Lavon Anderson of Montevideo, Minnesota. She graduated from Montevideo High School in 1955 and left Montevideo to attend Stephen’s College in Missouri. While there, Joan participated in the school’s flight program and got her pilot's license. Next Joan went to Iowa State in Ames, Iowa and graduated in 1959.

The second of four children, Joan was taller than average and began making her own clothing when she was young as the selection of readymade clothes in her size was limited. She became such an accomplished seamstress that later, when she was working as a buyer of fine clothing for women in a large department store, her manager asked where she purchased her clothing since he wanted to carry the same line. Joan was very creative and produced beautiful crafts, stained glass, and knitted items for friends and family. Some of these items remain treasured decorations for the holidays.

After college, Joan lived and worked for a time in Indiana and Tennessee. In the 1970s, she returned to her hometown of Montevideo and began working at Family Services for Chippewa County. She started as an aide and was eventually promoted to supervisor before retiring in 2002.

Joan was very active in her community. She was a part of the Montevideo Summer Swim Program for many years, was an active participant of Salem Lutheran Church, and was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Her only brother, Roger Anderson, was killed in the Vietnam War, so Joan was considered a Gold Star Sister.

As the only child in her family to live in Montevideo as an adult, Joan played an integral role in her parents’ care towards the end of their lives.

Joan leaves behind a son, Roger Riley and his wife, Kimberley, and a grandson Roger Riley, Jr. of Tennessee. Getting to see her grandson brought Joan great joy near the end of her life. Joan is also survived by her elder sister Marie Overby of California and her three children (Sara, Andrew, and Paul), her younger sister Karen King of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and her brother's daughter Susan Anderson of New York who has two children.