Betty Riley

Funeral services for Betty Riley, 90-year-old Buffalo resident who passed away Thursday evening at the Amie Holt Care Center in Buffalo will be held Thursday, February 5^th at 10:00 a.m. at the Harness Funeral Home Chapel in Buffalo with Pastor Justin Hammerich officiating. Visitation will be from the Harness Funeral Home Chapel on Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Interment will be in Willow Grove Cemetery with graveside services to follow the funeral.  Donations in Betty’s memory may be made to the Hoofprints of the Past Museum at 344 Nolan Avenue in Kaycee, Wyoming 82639. Online condolences may be made at www.harnessfuneralhome.com.

Elizabeth Rose Riley was born on January 9, 1936, in Albuquerque, New Mexico to LeRoy and Florence Weisenberger.  Betty Rose was a woman guided by spirit, love and quiet strength.  She walked this earth with humility, resilience, and a deep reverence for life and family.  Her life was shaped by love-love given freely, love carried patiently, and love that endured even through hardship.  As a devoted mother, her heart lived in the care of her children, offering comfort, protection, and unconditional support.  Her presence was steady and grounding, like a prayer spoken without words.

Betty carried a strong Native Spirit, rooted in respect for the Creator, for the earth, and for the sacred bond between generations.  She understood that life is a journey not just of the body, but for the soul.  She lived gently, with compassion and quiet wisdom, teaching by example rather than by voice.  She cherished simple joys, time spent in nature, family gatherings, storytelling passed down through generations, and the rhythms of the seasons that reminded her of the Creator’s gift.  In her final days she transitioned peacefully, surrounded by love and guided by prayer, as her spirit prepared to return home.  We trust that she is now walking in peace, free from pain, wrapped in light, and reunited with those who went before her.

Though we grieve her physical absence, we know her spirit remains close, in the wind, in prayer, in memory, and in the love, she planted so deeply in our hearts.  Her legacy lives not only in the years she lived, but in the lives she shaped and the love she leaves behind.  We release her with gratitude, trusting she is held by the Creator, guided gently into the next journey and resting in eternal peace. She will always be loved.  She will always be remembered. Her spirit will always remain.

Betty is preceded in death by her grandmother Bridgewater; her parents, LeRoy and Florence Weisenberger; her brother, Jim Weisenberger; her sister, Donna Brock, her sister, Mary Weisenberger; and her sons, James Riley and Dale Riley. She is survived by her children Karen Garrett and her husband John of Kaycee, Patty Anderson, Bob Riley, John Riley, and Gene Anderson.  Grandchildren Amanda Young and her husband Monte or Watford City, North Dakota, Adan, Atticus, Keyra, Harper, Samantha, Miranda, DJ, James, Allyison and Justin.  Great Grandchildren Katelyn, Hanna and a brand new great-great-granddaughter Avery Rose, Yamni, Sterling, Saylor, Boone, Slone and Statler, plus extended family who carry her light forward and traditional elements honoring her Native heritage.