Marjorie Riley

Marjorie Marie Riley, 85, of Meridian, and mother of Kris "the barber" Toman, also of Meridian, passed away Thursday, August 21, in Whitney, Texas.

Graveside services will be held at Fairview Cemetery, Greensburg, Kansas at 2:00 P. M., Thursday, August 28, 2014. Fleener Funeral Home, 514 S. Main, Greensburg, Kansas in charge of Kansas arrangements.

Mrs. Riley was born June 9, 1929 in Ursula, Kansas, a daughter of Edward L. Olinger and Ruth Bailey Olinger. After graduation from high school, where all of her friends had nicknamed her "Slats", she attended Junior College in El Dorado, Kansas. After her education was completed she began working for a new car dealership where she noticed that the salesmen's commission checks were quite good, and thought "I can do what they do". She became one of the first women in new car sales in Kansas City, Missouri. (There was one very successful lady selling cars in Wichita, Kansas at the time, but none in Kansas City.)

Mrs. Riley was also one of the first ladies to deliver the "Legg's" Pantyhose to
stores. Kansas City was one of four test markets for this new product and merchandising idea. The "Legg's" firm hired and trained four women, of which Mrs. Riley was one of the four, and they in turn trained others. After her children were raised and on their own, she went to work for J. C. Penney selling furniture. Mrs. Riley retired from J. C. Penney's Furniture Department in Plano, Texas in 1985.

Mrs. Riley has lived in various parts of Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, California, and Texas.

Survivors include her children: Ruthie Bird of Los Angeles, California, Kristianna Toman of Meridian, Texas, Marshall Pelot of Platte City, Missouri, and Clay Pelot of New Mexico; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; sisters, Kathryn Salmans and husband, Bill, of Meridian, Texas and Barbara Newbill of Kingman, Arizona, Willard Olinger and wife, Betty, of Kansas, and Nelson Olinger and wife, Letha, also of Kansas, numerous nephews, and nieces, including Tammy Cameron and husband, Jack, of Meridian, and other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials in Mrs. Riley's name be made to Alzheimer's Association, 6605 Sanger Avenue, Waco, Texas 76710.

Thoughts and memories may be sent to Mrs. Riley's family at lawsonfuneralhome.net.

Lawson Funeral Home, Meridian, Texas in charge of arrangements.