Darlene Adella Rivera

DARLENE RIVERA MUSCATINE, Iowa - Darlene Adella Rivera, 81, of Muscatine, died Tuesday, April 19, 2005, at her daughter's home. Funeral Service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 23, 2005, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home. Reverend Don Swanson of the First Baptist Church will officiate the services. Honorary Bearers will be Toribio Reyes, Juan Solis, Luke Borst, Anthony Gonzalas, Jessie Gomez, and James Dixon. Casket bearers will be Matthew Rivera, Jessie 'Isaak' Gomez, Mark Reyes, Andrew Reyes, Rolando Solis, David Solis, Gabriel Joseph Rivera, John Silva, and Orlando Reyes. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 22, 2005, at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church. Darlene was born on October 17, 1923, in Muscatine, the daughter of Clarence A. and Hannah Nicolay Martin. She married Gabriel Rivera on December 12, 1953, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They later divorced in 1960. She was a member of the First Baptist Church and enjoyed helping to teach Sunday School Class for the 2 to 4 year olds. She had worked for the H. J. Heinz Compa...[more]

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She loved children. She enjoyed playing games with her kids and grandchildren. She was always the champion. Survivors include her children, Gabriel Rivera Jr. and his wife, Debbie, of Romania, Joseph Rivera of Anamosa, Johannah Reyes of Muscatine, Juana Solis of Moline, Illinois, and Daniel Rivera and wife, Pamela, of Eagle Lake, Minnesota; 17 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and special family members and their children, Julia Rivera of Muscatine, Matthew Rivera and wife, Susanna, of Muscatine, Douglas Rivera and wife, Kathy, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, Jessie Gomez and wife, Gabriella, of Muscatine and James Dixon and wife, Jessica of Muscatine. Darlene was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, a granddaughter, and a great-grandson.