American AcornsWilliam H. Riley
1905–1947 · Male · died at 41 or 42
- 1 newspaper clipping, 2 more cited
- 16 records (7 viewable)
- Biography
- The Rileys and the Weisses of Paterson, 1880 to 1996
How to read this page
- Photos and clippings count items you can view here.
- Cited or transcribed records are counted separately.
- Story links lead to accounts about the person; “Mentioned in another story” marks a passing reference.
- Memorial links open Find a Grave.
- A “family recollection” label marks something a relative remembered, not a written record.
- A military-service label rates the record of that service, not the whole life.
Sex is as recorded in the family tree. Age at death is worked out from the dates shown and may be a range or an approximation. It is left out when a date is missing or is only a “before”, “after” or “between” date, when the research has found a date Unconfirmed, when the two dates conflict, or when they would mean an age over 110.
Overview
William H. Riley1905–1947Iantha M. Hoefer1909–1996Wife
Biography
William H. Riley was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of a Pennsylvania ironworker's family that had moved there from Harrisburg, and died suddenly in Paterson at 42.
A Paterson boyhood
William was born in Paterson in December 1905. The state birth index gives his mother's maiden name as Mary Wagner (birth index). His parents, Joseph S. Riley and Mary E. Wagner, had married in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1891 and moved to Paterson after 1900. In April 1910 the family lived on Spring Street, where William, 3, was one of seven children in the house (1910 census).
Source: Ancestry.com
Confirmed About this evidence
The census gives his age as 3; the birth index puts his birth in December 1905.
Marriage and family
On October 25, 1931, William married Iantha M. Hoefer at the Market Street Methodist Church in Paterson (church register; marriage index). In 1940 they lived at 1244 Madison Avenue with three children: Jantha, 9, Charles, 6, and Lila, 4. William, 35, was a mechanic; he had finished the eighth grade (1940 census).
Source: Ancestry.com
1940 · page image
Source: Ancestry.com
Confirmed About this evidence
The church register enters the bride under her first married name, Iantha Vanorden.
William died suddenly on Friday, December 19, 1947. The Morning Call's notice on the following Monday called him the "beloved husband of Iantha Hoefer Riley"; his funeral was held from the Richardson Chapel on Market Street, and he was buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery (Morning Call, 22 Dec 1947).
1947-12-22 · page image
Source: Newspapers.com
Confirmed About this evidence
No cause of death is given in the notice.
Timeline of the public record (5 entries)
| When | What the record shows | How sure |
|---|---|---|
| December 1905 | Born in Paterson, New Jersey. New Jersey, U.S., Birth Index: William H. Riley (mother Mary Wagner), Paterson, 1905 | Confirmed |
| 1910 | One of seven children in the Riley home on Spring Street. 1910 U.S. census, Paterson Ward 4, Passaic Co., N.J., ED 145, sheet 13A | Confirmed |
| 25 October 1931 | Marries Iantha M. Hoefer, Market Street Methodist Church. New Jersey, U.S., United Methodist Church Records: William Riley and Iantha Vanorden, 1931; New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index: William Riley and Iantha Hoefer, 1931 | Confirmed |
| 1940 | Mechanic, living at 1244 Madison Avenue with his wife and three children. 1940 U.S. census, Paterson, Passaic Co., N.J., ED 26-106, sheet 4B | Confirmed |
| 19 December 1947 | Dies suddenly in Paterson; buried at Laurel Grove. Death notice, Riley, William H., The Morning Call (Paterson), 22 Dec 1947, p. 21 | Confirmed |
Family
Parents
- Father: Joseph S. Riley born 1866
Confirmed evidence: show why
Why: The state birth index gives William H. Riley's mother as Mary Wagner; the 1910 Paterson census lists William, 3, as a son of Joseph and Mary Riley; Joseph S. Riley and Mary D. Wagner married at Harrisburg in 1891.
Records:
- New Jersey, U.S., Birth Index, 1848-1878, 1901-1929: William H. Riley and Wilbur H. Riley, mother's maiden name Mary Wagner
- 1910 U.S. census, Paterson, Passaic Co., N.J., Ward 4, ED 145, sheet 13A, lines 8-16: Joseph Riley 41, wife Mary 37, Margaret, Joseph, Edward, Lester, William 3, Wilbur 2 and Pearl
- Dauphin County, Pa., marriage license no. 405, 31 Oct 1891: Joseph S. Riley, 26, moulder, son of Edward Riley, and Mary D. Wagner, 19, daughter of Margaret D. Wagner, both of Harrisburg (Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968)
Review: assessed 10-16-2026; evidence: Image examined.
- Mother: Mary Wagner born c. 1872
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Wife: Iantha M. Hoefer 1909–1996 Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
- Daughter: Lila Jean Riley 1935–2003
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
- Daughter: Iantha R Riley 1930–2014
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
- Son: Charles Riley died 2025
Unconfirmed evidence: show why
Life events
| Born | 1905, Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey, USA Unconfirmed evidence: show whyWhy: From the imported family tree; not yet reviewed. Records attached in the tree:
Review: not yet reviewed. |
|---|---|
| Died | 19 Dec 1947, Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey Confirmed evidence: show whyWhy: The Morning Call of Monday, December 22, 1947 reports that William H. Riley, "beloved husband of Iantha Hoefer Riley", died suddenly on Friday [December 19]; burial at Laurel Grove. Records:
Review: assessed 10-16-2026; evidence: Image examined. |
| Marriage | 25 OCT 1931, Market Street Methodist Church, Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey, USA, with Iantha M. Hoefer 1909–1996 Image: New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016 · Image: New Jersey, U.S., United Methodist Church Records, 1800-1970 |
| Residence | 1935, Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey Image: U.S., City Directories, 1822-1999 |
| Residence | 1940, 1244 Madison Ave., Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey, USA |
| Residence | 1244 Madison Ave.; mechanic, 1940, Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey Confirmed evidence: show whyWhy: 1940 census. Records:
Review: assessed 10-16-2026; evidence: Image examined. |
| Burial | Laurel Grove Cemetery, Totowa, Passaic, New Jersey, USA |
Newspapers
1 newspaper clipping to view here. View it larger, one at a time.
The Morning Call (Paterson), 22 Dec 1947, p. 21, death notices: Riley, William H.1947-12-22 · page image
Also cited, with no image here
- U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current Newspaper or record reference; read it at the archive or publisher.
- The Morning Call (Paterson), 22 Dec 1947, p. 21: Riley, William H., died Friday [19 Dec 1947] Newspaper or record reference; read it at the archive or publisher.
Record images
7 record images to view here. View them larger, one at a time.
1940 U.S. census, Paterson, Passaic Co., N.J., ED 26-106, sheet 4B: William and Jantha Riley and their children1940 · page image
1940 United States Federal Census
1950 United States Federal Census
New Jersey, U.S., Birth Index, 1848-1878, 1901-1929
New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016
New Jersey, U.S., United Methodist Church Records, 1800-1970
U.S., City Directories, 1822-1999
Sources
- New Jersey, U.S., Birth Index, 1848-1878, 1901-1929 Birth, marriage and death records Viewable scan Birth
New Jersey State Archives; Trenton, New Jersey; New Jersey Births, 1878-1890 - New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016 Birth, marriage and death records Viewable scan Birth, Death, Marriage
New Jersey State Archives; Trenton, New Jersey; Marriage Indexes; Index Type: Bride; Year Range: 1979; Surna… - U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current Newspapers Citation only Birth, Death, Residence
The Herald-News; Publication Date: 26 Apr 1996; Publication Place: Passaic, New Jersey, USA; URL: https://ww… - New Jersey, U.S., United Methodist Church Records, 1800-1970 Other documents Viewable scan Marriage
Greater New Jersey Annual Conference Commission on Archives and History; Madison, New Jersey - New Jersey, U.S., United Methodist Church Records, 1800-1970 Birth, marriage and death records Citation only Marriage
marriage, 25 Oct 1931: William Riley and Iantha Vanorden - 1940 United States Federal Census Census Citation only Residence
Paterson, ED 26-106, sheet 4B - 1940 United States Federal Census Census Viewable scan Birth, Residence
Year: 1940; Census Place: Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey; Roll: m-t0627-02432; Page: 4B; Enumeration District… - The Morning Call (Paterson, New Jersey) Birth, marriage and death records Citation only Death
22 Dec 1947, p. 21, death notice - 1950 United States Federal Census Census Viewable scan Birth, Residence
National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year:… - U.S., City Directories, 1822-1999 Directories and public records Viewable scan Residence
Paterson, New Jersey, City Directory, 1956 - The Morning Call (Paterson, New Jersey) Other documents Citation only Burial
22 Dec 1947, p. 21 - U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 Birth, marriage and death records Citation only
Research sources
- 1910 U.S. census, Paterson, Passaic Co., N.J., Ward 4, ED 145, sheet 13A, lines 8-16: Joseph Riley 41, wife Mary 37, Margaret, Joseph, Edward, Lester, William 3, Wilbur 2 and Pearl Census
- 1940 U.S. census, Paterson, ED 26-106, sheet 4B, 1244 Madison Ave.: William and Jantha Riley with Jantha, Charles and Lila Census view at Ancestry.com
- Dauphin County, Pa., marriage license no. 405, 31 Oct 1891: Joseph S. Riley, 26, moulder, son of Edward Riley, and Mary D. Wagner, 19, daughter of Margaret D. Wagner, both of Harrisburg (Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968) Birth, marriage and death records
- New Jersey, U.S., Birth Index, 1848-1878, 1901-1929: William H. Riley and Wilbur H. Riley, mother's maiden name Mary Wagner Birth, marriage and death records
- The Morning Call (Paterson), 22 Dec 1947, p. 21: Riley, William H., died Friday [19 Dec 1947] Newspapers view at Newspapers.com
Share a memory of William H. Riley: saved privately, not published (family members can sign in to send one).
Open an evidence label for the sources, assessment and review date. Unreviewed tree entries are Unconfirmed. How sure is each statement?