Edward James Riley, Sr.

October 13, 1894 - February 5, 1969

Riley, Edward James Sr.
Birth: August 15, 1929, Aurora, IL.
Education: St. Bede Academy High School, 1908-1911 and St. Joseph College, 1912-1914

After rumored troubles and a seperation between their mom and dad, the Riley boys were already living with their mom's family in Bloomington, Illinois where she suffered from tuberculosis for about five (5) years, before passing away in November of 1902. James W. Riley was running his saloon in Chicago when he passed-away in January of 1908, reportedly not having been allowed to see his sons since the seperation. While guardianship and custody papers made their way through the local courts, the boys were sent to Saint Bede Academy, a private, Catholic high school where they were awoken at 5:40AM for a very well-structured day of Mass followed by breakfast, recreation, studies, recitations, lunch followed by visits to the Blessed Sacrament, more recreation, studies and recitations, supper, followed by more recreation until 7:00PM studies, night prayers and bed by 8:25PM.

In the 'Register Of Students' for St. Bede Academy in Peru, Illinois, Ed and Frank Riley are listed in their first year of Latin studies, in the same year, for some reason, Ed requested that George F. Jordan become his gurdian...signing his name though as 'James E. Riley.' Ed Riley, Jr. mentioned a long time ago that he thought his father may have changed his name out of spite, and a search for Edward Riley's birth certificate has indeed come up empty, suggesting that this is indeed possible. Custody papers and petition indicate the same peculiarity.

In the 1908-09 list of 'Premiums and Distinctions' for St. Bede, Frank Riley won Distinctions in History, Spelling, Elocution, Penmanship and Arithmetic. In 1909-10, Ed Riley won a Premium in History and Distinctions in Grammer, Composition and Arithmetic, while Frank won Distictions in Christian Doctrine, History, Arithmetic, Reading, Spelling and Elocution. Ed's coach for basketball was Father P. Fredrick Wuenschel, O.S.B. and Frank's coach for baseball was Father P. Alexander.

Young Ed Riley, and his brother [Francis Charles (Bud) Riley] were very athletic young Irishmen who took part in just about every sporting baseball and basketball team around. At the Saint Bede Academy, the boys learned to bowl in a newly built bowling alley, they joined and played on the Minim Baseball Team in 1908 and in 1909 Ed joined and played on the school's basketball team, Frank continued more with baseball. The boys teamed-up in 1911 when they joined and played on a local YMCA intermediate basketball team, coached and managed by Father Sheedy. While at St Joseph, sports seemed to take precident over scholarship, the boys spending more time in a newly completed gymnasium then studying. Ed took Christian Docterine, Latin, English (Rhetoric, Literature, Composition and Elocution), Mathematics (Algebra and Plain Geometry), Elementary Physics, Vocal Music, Modern Philosophy and Physical Culture his first year in Dubuque, Iowa. In his second year at St. Joseph's he carried on with much the same, adding the Philosophy of U.S. History, Solid Geometry and Chemistry.

Military Service:

Ed Riley, Sr. is rumored to have been an officer in the United States Army. If so, this service must have taken place during the First World War (WWI).

Occupations:

Citron Railroad Catering Manager, City of Chicago (Construction Laborer, Cost Analyst, Painter, Plasterer's Helper)

When the depression hit, it hit Ed Riley hard. He lost his job managing the Citron Railroad Catering operation and according to Ed Riley, Jr., his dad walked the many miles to downtown Chicago looking for work. Ed Riley, Sr. apparently had an amazing and undefeatable spirit, when many a lesser man gave-up, Ed just seemed to go at it a little harder. Even in the worst of times, according to Ed Riley, Jr., the family helped those less fortunate with hand-outs of food.

Ed Riley finally found work with the City of Chicago in their Architectural Department as a construction laborer, a painter and plasterer's helper. Ed was a man capable of many skills, working at various buildings and locations from day-to-day as assigned. He also worked as a cost analyst for the City of Chicago and supported his wife and nine (9) children with private (Catholic) school educations.

Ed also involved himself in Chicago politics during the reign of the Kelly-Nash machine, as a precinct captain or committee man. In the heady days when workers literally had to fight for rights that we take for granted although they have been eroding since the 1970's, Edward J. Riley, Jr. had recollections of his father comming home from those fights 'covered in blood, but not his' although Ed's youngest daughter has no such memories.

In his later years, Ed always seemed to port a crisp, starched white shirt and statesman-like silver/grey hair. Even as an older man, his stature was impressive.

For relaxation, sometimes Ed would go to the corner pub or bar in the neighborhood. No doubt he thought about his father, James W. Riley...a man he never really seemed to know who himself was a saloon owner. Sipping on a beer, he must have wondered how things might have been different.

ED was very interested in Chicago area, Democratic party politics. He never talked much about his dad or our family history, but brought up his children to love and respect each-other, to be Roman Catholic in faith and to have a deep and abiding love of the United States of America and the freedoms we enjoy. When it comes down to it, there may not be any better gifts one can leave his children.

Marriage: November 29, 1917, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows in Chicago, IL.
Spouse:
Burns, Catherine Mary
Birth: May 15, 1896, Pittsburgh, PA.
Occupations: Housewife

Catherine Mary Burns was a legendary and persuasive letter-writer who it is rumored could write a letter to someone without having th address, but describing the delivery location and have it delivered like that. She also wrote to the President of the United States, FDR, during the rubber shortage of WWII to complain that she didn't have enough rubber to make her girls bloomers...he responded and sent a bolt that lasted until after the war was over! Ed Riley, Jr.'s favorite dish or desert that his mom made was something called 'depression cake' which had few indgredients (because of all the shortages), but still was, he said: 'the best cake he ever had.'

Edward J. Riley, Sr. passed away on: February 5, 1969, in Park Ridge, IL.

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