Louanna Riley was born in 1852 in Summer County, Tennessee. She
moved to Champaign, Illinois, at an early age and lived at 106
E. Springfield Avenue. She had two children, a daughter Ethel,
and a son George who attended the University of Illinois and played
in the U of I band.
She was a member of the Deborah Chapter Order of Eastern Star
and a stewardess in Bethel A.M.E. Church. She was active in the
young missionary society. They met every Saturday morning at her
home and meetings were strictly coordinated according to Roberts
Rules of Order. Twice a year, she gathered shoe boxes from the
local shoe stores. The children filled them with fruit and candy
donated by the congregation and they were delivered to shut-ins
in the community and to the nursing homes. The missionary society
of Bethel Church is named for her.
When it became difficult for her to continue to live alone, she
moved to Chicago to be with her daughter. Local relatives included
Ray Scott, a great nephew and his family.
Louanna A. Riley
)
denotes original charter members of the Champaign County Section
of the National Council of Negro Women.