Zola Nell (Hull) Riffe

Zola Nell (Hull) Riffe, born on March 19, 1926 in Madison County, Indiana, died peacefully on the morning of August 15, 2019, at the age of 93, in Sun City Center, Florida. She was the daughter of Mary Lourany Thomas (1896-1991), and Franklin Ray Hull (1893-1983) and was the youngest of three children. Her brother Carleton and sister Ellen predeceased her. Zola married the love of her life, Charles Ward Riffe, on September 5, 1948, in the Kemp United Methodist Church in Tipton, Indiana. Ward died in 2014, in the 67th year of their marriage.

Zola is survived by daughter, Janet Riffe Paustian (husband Dick), grandsons Ryan Ward Paustian and Sean Coulter Paustian, residing in Montana, and her son, Daniel Lawson Riffe (husband Rick Thompson) residing in Hollywood, California. One grandson, Robert Brett Paustian is deceased. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews.

Zola graduated from Tipton High School in 1944 and Indiana University School of Business in 1948. She was a longtime member of Kemp United Methodist Church of Tipton and a member of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Tri Kappa Sorority.

Zola learned to knit during WWII and had continued knitting all of her life. She also took up basket weaving, Brazilian embroidery, and became a tailoring seamstress.

When her children started school, she joined her husband at F. Ray Hull & Son, Inc. the farm equipment dealership started by her father. They were joined in business in 1973 by son, Dan. Retiring from the business in 1981 they took up golf. Zola soon made a hole-in-one, giving her bragging rights. The couple moved to Sun City Center, Florida in 1992, and Zola began her next career in genealogy.

In pursuit of the details of family trees, Ward and Zola drove thousands of miles on many trips,
searching the files of old court houses, cemeteries and libraries as well as visiting rediscovered relatives. Zola even learned that not only was Ward descended from Daniel Boone, but she was too, making them cousins, many times removed. Zola researched and completed six genealogy books, all being full of dates, history, pictures and memories.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later time for family and friends to gather and remember Zola. The family suggests that donations be made in Zola’s memory, to one of the following:
Tipton County Historical Society, 323 W. South Street Tipton, IN 46072
Kemp United Methodist Church, 228 N. Main, Tipton, IN 46072
Tipton Community Foundation, 1020 W. Jefferson Street, PO Box 412, Tipton, IN 46072.