Carmen Rios

Carmen Rios, age 94, of Manhattan, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at the Good Shepherd Hospice House. Carmen Rita Monge was born on July 25, 1927 to Carlos Monge and Obdulia (Guadalupe) Monge in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.

On March 30, 1946, she married her sweetheart, the boy next door, Celestino Rios when he returned from Europe after the Second World War. To this union were born two daughters, Judith (Rios) Hart and Wilma (Rios) Perry.

She attended the University of Puerto Rico with a full scholarship. She also attended the Puerto Rican Business College in Rio Piedras.

In 1950, she started traveling with her husband and their two daughters during his Army career. They lived in Panama, Europe, and the United States.

In 1960, they returned back to the U.S. They lived at Camp Forsythe, Fort Riley then moved to Manhattan, Kansas. While her husband was stationed at Fort Riley, she went to work at the Army and Air Force Post Exchange. She worked there for 25 years. She received several awards for her superior performance as an accounting clerk supervisor.
After her retirement, December 1987, she went to work for the Retired Seniors Volunteers and there she won the award as one of the “Super Seniors” of the year.

She was actively involved in the Family History Search. She loved doing name extraction and also family research for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Carmen was always using her culinary skills to brighten the lives of her family and neighbors. She was known for her Christmas apple strudel. She passed on her culinary skills of preparing Puerto Rican dishes like pastels and tostones.

Carmen (Monge) Rios was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Celestino Rios; sister, Luz Maria Guadalupe; and brother, Carlos Miguel Monge.

She is survived by her daughters; Judith (Larry) Hart of St. Marys, Kansas; Wilma (Richard) Perry of Manhattan, Kansas; Her five grandchildren: Margaret Perry of Stockton, California, Michael (Elena) Perry of Hastings, Nebraska, Tammy (Pat) Friedl of Olathe, Kansas, Matthew (Chelsea) Perry of McPherson, Kansas, and James (Shonda) Hart of Northport, Alabama.

She loved visiting and writing to her eleven great-grandchildren who will always remember her stories and love for them; Harper Hart of Northport, Alabama; Mikey, Sammy, Elizabeth, and Nathaniel Perry of Hastings, Nebraska; Aleah, Kanani, Maya, Sariah, Isabel and Aaron of McPherson, Kansas.

The family will greet friends during a visitation on Sunday November 28, 2021 from 6:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home in Manhattan.

Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday November 29, 2021 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2812 Marlatt in Manhattan. Interment will follow at the Fort Riley Post Cemetery, Fort Riley, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Good Shepherd Hospice House in care of Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.