Elsie Riley-Mcdonald

Elsie Riley-McDonald, 94, of Winterset died on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. A funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 11, at the First United Presbyterian Church in Winterset. Burial will be held at the Oakdale Cemetery in Adel. A visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, May 10 at Ochiltree Funeral Service & Aftercare, with family present to receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorials may be directed to the First United Presbyterian Church. Elsie Barger was born February 26, 1919 in Swea City, Iowa, the daughter of Ernest A. and Ethel (Schoonover) Barger. In 1928, the family moved to Waukee and in 1935 to DeSoto where she lived for the next 60 years. In 1941, she married Max E. Riley, a DeSoto farmer. To this union was born one daughter, Carol Jean. Before and after her husband’s death, Elsie worked in various capacities in the community including, secretary and treasurer of the DeSoto School Board and secretary to the DeSoto Elementary School principal. She worked at different levels of the DeSoto post office over a period from 1940 to 1982, with the exception of seven years. Sixteen years of this time she was the postmaster. In June of 1985, she married Clarence McDonald of the Winterset community. In 1996, they moved to Winterset. She was a 50-year member of the DeSoto Methodist Church, later transferring to Winterset First United Presbyterian Church. She was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and local chapter 1864, Presbyterian Women and Esther Circle and Current Topics Women’s Club. She is survived by her daughter, Carol (David) Winchester; granddaughter, Cari Rothfus; grandson, Chad (Ingrid) Morgan; 4 step children, Ivan (Barb) McDonald, Karen (Myron) Beckman, Jill (Richard) Hoffman, and Tom (Cindy) McDonald; nieces and nephews; step grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, both husbands, and two sisters, Evelyn (Russell) Houston and Thelma (LeRoy) Jochens.