Edith ‘Edie’ McMullen-Reiley

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Edith “Edie” McMullen-Reiley was born Dec. 1, 1946 in Long Beach, California to Bailey and Signa Woodmancy-Ward. She was the second of five daughters which were Carolyn, Edie, Janice, Connie and Renee.
In 1952, they moved from Kansas to the Woodmancy family farm near the Colorado/Nebraska state line. There she attended grade school in Amherst, Colorado until the fifth grade, then she attended school in Lamar, Nebraska, until her father passed away in 1958.
They then moved to Holyoke, Colorado where Edie graduated high school in 1964. After graduation, she moved to Denver, Colorado where she attended beauty school. After graduation, she returned to Holyoke where she went to work at Ardie’s Beauty Shop.
On Dec. 17, 1966 she was married to Arlyn McMullen and lived for a time in Wauneta. To this union three children were born, Lana, Matthew and Ward.
In 1972 they moved from Wauneta to Imperial where they built Edie’s Beauty Bar and Style Shop, not only a beauty salon but also a ladies clothing store.
On Feb. 14, 1997 she was married to Jerry Reiley, and eventually they made their home in Central City, Colorado.
She and Jerry enjoyed traveling by car. Within their lifetimes they had visited all 50 states plus a Panama Canal cruise. They also toured Colorado’s back country, going over 38 mountain passes, most requiring 4-wheel drive. They bravely took their grandchildren on many of these trips.
Edie was always busy, not only operating many beauty shops during her life but also many other entrepreneurial ventures. She loved projects like jewelry making, online businesses, craft fairs and even painting pictures.
Edie loved her family and friends, which was so evident after her injury on Nov. 14, 2018. She was never alone day or night, surrounded by people that loved her, up to the very end on Feb. 17, 2019.
She was preceded in death by her parents Bailey and Signa Ward; her husband, Arlyn McMullen; and her sister, Janice Cox.
She is survived by her husband Jerry Reiley of 22 years; daughter Lana (James) Goudy Jr.; sons Matthew and Ward McMullen; step-daughters Lisa Reiley and Kara (John) Moloney; granddaughters Lorisa, Amelia, Renee, Syerra, Hanna and Caitlin; grandsons Reece, Nathan, Tyler and Kyle; great-grandson Jeremy; sisters Carolyn (Merv) Wallin, Connie Lonergan and Renee (Tony) Hinojosa; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, March 2 at the Tabor Rice Funeral Home in Brighton, Colorado, attended by many family members and friends.
Cremation was chosen and there will be a graveside inurnment at Mount Hope Cemetery in Imperial at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Neuro ICU fund in Edie’s honor, https://www.uchospitalfoundation.org/.

 

The Imperial Republican

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PO Box 727

Imperial, NE 69033