Marion Loretta (Cummings) Riley (1928–2004)

The Steady Heart of a Family of Eight

This is the story of Marion Loretta Cummings Riley. She was the wife of John William Riley and the mother of Michael Henry Riley, my son-in-law's father. That makes her the great-grandmother of two of my grandchildren.A Springfield GirlMarion was born on December 14, 1928, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her parents were Edward J. Cummings and Mary Genevieve (Cullen) Cummings. She had one sibling, an older sister named Rita Constance, who was born in 1923.When Marion was only six, her father died. A notice in the Springfield paper gives the date as January 31, 1935, and says his funeral Mass was held at Holy Family Church. Her father had been a member of the American Legion, which is a club for military veterans. Here's something you'll run into in family research. Her mother's obituary, written decades later in 1987, says Edward died in 1955. But the 1935 notice, and the wedding announcements of both daughters that call him "the late Mr. Cummings," show he was gone long before then. I've kept both dates here so you know about the mix-up.After that, Marion's mother raised the two girls by herself. She worked as an operator for Western Union for 40 years. Western Union was the telegram company. Before cell phones and email, people sent urgent messages by telegram. Holy Family Church was the family's parish, and it ran through Marion's whole early life.School and WorkMarion graduated from Cathedral High School in Springfield, probably in 1946. Then she went to work in a dental office. The 1950 census lists her as a dental hygienist. Her engagement announcement in 1951 says she was the "medical secretary" for Dr. A. C. Rock Jr., a Springfield dentist. Her obituary later called her "a former dental hygienist." She may have done both jobs, so I've kept both titles. We don't know where she trained.In 1948, when Rita married Robert Paul Quinn at Holy Family Church, Marion was her maid of honor.The WeddingMarion's engagement to John W. Riley of Marble Street was announced in January 1951. They were married at 9 o'clock on the morning of Saturday, February 3, 1951, at Holy Family Church. Rev. John Sexton performed the ceremony and celebrated the nuptial Mass. Her uncle, Lt. Fred J. Cullen, gave her away, since her father had died, and his son George was one of the altar boys. Lois Hughes was her maid of honor and Janet Hart was her bridesmaid. Edward Smuss was best man. Rita's husband, Robert Quinn, and Robert Gagne were ushers. The reception was held at the Hotel Sheraton in Springfield. Afterward the newlyweds moved in with Marion's mother on Northampton Avenue.One note for researchers: some family trees give the wedding year as 1950. Every newspaper item from the time says February 3, 1951.A House Full of ChildrenMarion and John had eight children: Patrick, Loretta, Stephen, Michael, John, Mary, Karen, and Colleen. That's four boys and four girls. In the early years the family moved around. A 1955 property record puts them in West Springfield, and a 1960 one puts them in Springfield. Family records also mention Chicopee in the mid-1950s. Most of the children grew up in Agawam, in Feeding Hills. Picture a house with eight kids, one of them a teenage pitcher getting drafted by the Minnesota Twins.Once the children were older, Marion worked at K-Mart and at the Friendly's restaurant in the Baystate West mall in Springfield.Later YearsMarion lost her sister Rita in 1973 and her mother in 1987. Her husband John died in 1997, and in 2001 she lost her daughter Loretta, who was only 47. Losing a child is about the hardest thing a parent can face.Marion spent the last nine years of her life in West Springfield. She was treasurer of the tenants' association where she lived, which tells you people trusted her with the money.She died at home on January 31, 2004, at age 75. Her memorial Mass was held at St. Thomas Church in West Springfield, and the burial was private for the family. We haven't yet found where she is buried. She left seven children and 13 grandchildren.
Sources
Conflicting records
  • Husband: earlier versions of the family tree listed John William Riley (1938–2023). The records above show that her husband was John William Riley (1927–1997), whom she married Feb. 3, 1951, at Holy Family Church, Springfield.
  • Father-in-law’s name: the 1951 wedding report gives “Harris A. Riley”; his 1960 obituary gives “Harris Henry Riley,” and his widow’s 1970 obituary gives “Harris H. Riley.”