Carolyn Ann (Naumann) Riles

Carolyn Ann (Naumann) Riles, 77, of Sheffield, died Sunday, June 1, 2025, at the Sheffield Care Center. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 7, at Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Sheffield with Rev. G. Kim Wills presiding. Interment will be at Hillside Cemetery, Sheffield. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Friday at the Sietsema-Atkinson Funeral Home in Hampton. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sietsema-Atkinson Funeral Home in Hampton.

Carolyn was born July 26, 1947, to Bernard and Edythe (Waters) Naumann. She lived on a farm near Marble Rock until she was 5, when her family moved to Cedar Falls, then later to Mason City. She graduated from Mason City High School in 1965, attended Mason City Junior College for a year, and then graduated from Draughon’s Business College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1967.

On July 8, 1967, Carolyn married Gene Riles at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mason City. She and Gene raised two daughters while farming together east of Sheffield. Although she grew up as a “city girl”, she was quick to learn skills to help Gene around the farm, including driving tractors and the combine, watching augers, running for parts, fixing many field lunches, and keeping the books for their farming operation. In addition to helping on the farm, Carolyn also worked in the office at Hy-Cross Chick Hatchery, then in the early 70s began working in the office at Sukup Manufacturing, but her favorite jobs were being a farm wife, Mom, Grandma, and “Super Mimi”.

She was a member of Zion St. John Lutheran church, where she taught Sunday School when her daughters were young. She was also a 4-H leader, and was great at encouraging her girls to learn how to do projects on their own, even if it didn’t result in a blue ribbon.

Carolyn always liked trying out a new hobby, and she especially enjoyed photography, flower gardening, writing children’s short stories, reading magazines, scrapbooking and genealogy. She enjoyed taking family driving vacations when the girls were younger, and she and Gene enjoyed traveling with their good friends Fred and Edna Eberling to Branson at Christmastime. In later years, Gene and Carolyn enjoyed trips to Alaska, Hawaii, cruises in the Caribbean, as well as going out to eat, and Sunday drives. She especially loved family time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Carolyn is survived by her husband of nearly 58 years, Gene; daughters Pam (Daren) Meints, Sheffield; Kathy Riles, Independence, Missouri; grandsons Ethan (Britta) Meints, Grinnell; Collin (Droste) Meints, Pella; Jackson Beach, Independence, Missouri; great grandchildren Rudy and Rory Meints with a third arriving in October; brothers-in-law Greg (Diane) Riles, Sheffield; Grant (Melinda) Riles, Emporia, Kansas; and several nieces and nephews and their families. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, parents in-law Clifford and June Riles, brother Gary Naumann, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Gary and Frances Riles. 

Carolyn’s family would like to thank the staff of the Sheffield Care Center for the kindness and care they showed her the last 2 1/2 years.