Charlie H. Riley, 95
Charlie Hopkins Riley was born April 30, 1921 on a small farmstead north of Valentine, Nebraska to Alva and Hazel (Hopkins) Riley. He was baptized into the holy Christian church. Charlie was one of ten children and, after losing his father when he was twelve, he and his brothers and sisters helped their mother with seemingly endless chores as the country recovered from the Great Depression. Word spread among neighbors that young Charlie had his father's gift for breaking horses, providing the family some much needed extra income. His mother later remarried to Joe Ryschon, relocating to property just north of the South Dakota border near White Lake.

One day 14-year old Charlie's grade-school teacher took the class on a fateful field trip to a nearby farm sale, which forever changed young Charlie's life. That evening, he proudly informed his mother that he was going to be an auctioneer...starting immediately. From that day on he attended every sale he could, practicing his "chant" as he rode his horse back home. Hazel encouraged her teenage son's unmistakable talent by sending him off to the big city to train with his veteran Omaha auctioneer uncle, "Mac" Wondra.

Returning to his home in the Valentine area, Charlie's newly honed auction skills were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. He enlisted in the Army and was stationed in the Philippines until the war ended.

Safely back home in his beloved Sandhills, the dream of starting his own auction business was seriously disrupted by a young woman he noticed while cruising the village streets of Crookston, Nebraska. Lois R. Ohlmann soon married this handsome cowboy and aspiring auctioneer on December 15, 1946. Charlie and Lois were blessed with three sons while raising Hereford cattle and together building a thriving auction business that spanned six decades until Charlie retired in 2008. During that time, in addition to helping friends and neighbors with hundreds of farm and ranch sales, Charlie shared his auction skills at the Valentine Livestock Auction and several other area auctions. For 60 years, Charlie also had the special privilege of auctioning the annual October buffalo sale at the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge.
After a stay at Cherry Hills Estates Assisted Living in Valentine, and following Lois's declining health, in December 2013 they moved to Saunders Care Center in Wahoo, Nebraska, to be closer to two of their sons. Lois passed in January of 2015. Aside from his abiding love for Lois and his family, Charlie was fond of horses, cattle, Johnny Cash, John Wayne, Louis L'Amour westerns and people...especially people. God blessed him with a wonderful talent for speaking fast (very fast) but also with a gift for just plain visiting with people - all people, even strangers (although for Charlie they would not long be strangers).
Charlie woke up early Sunday morning November 20, 2016, had his usual breakfast of pancakes (always pancakes), returned to his room and his bed, and fell asleep in the Lord at the at the age of 95.
Charlie is survived by sons Steve (Kathy) Riley of Omaha, Gary (Rosario Ocana) Riley of Folsom, California and Mark (Cindy) Riley of Lincoln, plus four grandchildren Ian, Colin, Zachary and Heather and four great-grandchildren Kami, Kaylin, Braden, and Aria plus nieces and nephews.
Memorials in memory of Charlie can be designated towards the annual October Bison Sale at:
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, 39983 Refuge Road, Valentine, Nebraska 69201
Funeral service for Charlie Riley age 95 of Wahoo and formally of Valentine will be held on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 2:00 PM at the Zion Lutheran Church in Valentine. Burial will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Valentine. Visitation will be on Friday, Nov. 25 at 6 PM at Sandoz Chapel of the Pines. Mr. Riley passed away on Nov. 20 in Wahoo, NE.