After an illness of over a week Rev. Joshua Riale, formerly of Blair, and who built the residence now occupied by A. Sutherland, but recently living at 4024 Cuming street, passed away yesterday at 7:30 at an advanced age. His trouble was due primarily to disorders of the kidneys. Plans for the funeral await the arrival of two children, Rev. Frank Riale, pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian church of Chicago and Mrs. Lichtenwaller of Dunbar, Nebr. They will be here today. They, with Miss Ella Riale and the widow, constitute the surviving family. Miss Riale lives with her mother. Rev. Riale was one of the pioneer Presbyterian ministers of Nebraska. He came to this state in 1875 and was at Bellevue for some years. His last pastorate was that of the Bedford Place church in Omaha, now the church of the Covenant. But he had not pursued active ministerial work for some years, owing to advancing years and failing strength. He had, however, maintained an active interest in the work of the church and, until recently, supplied pulpits in Omaha, in any of which of his denominations he was beloved. Rev. A.S.C. Clark, pastor of Lowe Avenue church, will have share of the funeral services.

#2-From Find a Grave

Joshua studied at a college in Pennsylvania, followed by getting a degree in theology at a Reformed Church seminary. He was ordained to ministry by the Reformed Church’s Mercersburg Classis in 1856. He pastored Reformed congregations in Pennsylvania and Iowa (1856-75). In 1875 he was received by the Presbytery of Omaha then served Presbyterian congregations in Nebraska (1875-1884). He then became pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Williams, Iowa (1884-86), followed by these pastorates: Blair, Nebraska (1887-90), Dysart, Iowa (1890-01), Logan, Iowa (1892-94), and Hardin Township, Iowa (1895-97). He was honorably retired beginning in 1898, and was known to be living in Omaha, NE in 1906.

His son, Frank N. Riale was also a Presbyterian minister in Iowa.

(The foregoing was gleaned from the 1907 book History of Presbyterianism in Iowa 1837-1900 by Rev/Dr Joseph Welton Hubbard. What follows is from the July 19, 1907 issue of The Westminster, page 25 – the then national periodical of the Presbyterian denomination.)

Rev Joshua Riale of Omaha, Neb. died June 15 at 7 PM. It was sudden and unexpected, after only a few days of illness. The Omaha World-Herald said of him: “With all the love and reverence that can be shown an aged pastor whose life has been filled with devoted ministrations for hundreds of families, the funeral for Raile was held Monday afternoon, the service led by Rev. A. S. Clark, pastor of Lowe Avenue Presbyterian Church in Omaha. Other local pastors were the casket-bearers. Born March 18, 1829 in Doylestown, PA, he moved with his parents at age seven to Columbus, Ohio; he was educated at Ohio Wesleyan University at Franklin-Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.

“He was a life-long friend of Dr. Philip Schaff, the famous theologian and professor of church history, and of Dr. John Neven, both of whom were at that time members of the faculty of the Mercersburg Theological Seminary where Rev. Raile got his theological educat8on. He entered the ministry of the German Reformed Church in 1856. His firs church was at Alexandria, PA.

“He was one of the first young men to respond to a call for mission workers in the West. He came to Iowa in 1858 and served churches at Lisbon, Tipton, and Independence, IA. He organized eight Reformed churches in various parts of the state. In 1872 he organized the Blairstown Academy at Blairstown, IA, and conducted it three years with the assistance of his wife and in connection with his pastorate at that place.

“In 1875 Mr. Riale entered the Presbyterian Church and moved to Nebraska. He served churches at Bellevue, Papillion, and Blair, NE, and at Logan and Harden, IA. Six years ago he moved to Omaha, and for two years was pastor of the Church of the Covenant there. He was the oldest minister in the presbytery.

“Rev. Riale was married in 1858 to Miss Lydia J. Boyd of Havre de Grace, Maryland. They had four children: Rev. Frank N. Riale pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Mattie, wife of Dr. J. H. Lichtenwalmer of Dunbar, NE; and Miss May Riale of Omaha. Another daughter, Grace, died in infancy.”

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #73069601