Obituary of John Reed, Saline Co, AR

***********************************************************
Submitted by: Darcy Stonesifer
        Date: September 2006
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
***********************************************************

John Orville Reed
Funeral services set for Reed

The community leader died Thursday at the age of 91 after being struck by a 
car.

COURIER Staff

John Orville Reed died at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 
Thursday, Feb. 4, 1999. He was 91.

Funeral Services will be at First Baptist Church in Benton at 10 a.m. 
Monday, Feb. 8, 1999. The services will be conducted by the Rev. Rick Grant. 
Graveside services will be at Mount Olive Cemetery in Saline County Pallbearers
will be all 10 of his grandsons.

Reed was the fourth of eight children born to Hubble and Mae Reed, May 25, 
1907 in Butterfield, Mo.

He came to Arkansas with his family when he was a small boy. They traveled 
in a horse drawn covered wagon and settled in the Saline County community of 
Mount Olive. He grew up there on a small farm and learned farming skills and 
a work ethic. It was in this small community that he met Nellie Boyce Chambers 
who became his wife. He and Boyce were married May 24, 1933, and enjoyed 62 
years together before her death on Oct. 24, 1995.

Reed became a Christian after he was married in 1933. The Baptist Church 
was the center of many of his activities where he taught Sunday school classes, 
sang in the choir, served as a deacon and visited new prospects. He also made 
time for many other organizations including: Masons, Eastern Star, school 
board, Gideons, Lions Club, Chamber Commerce and the Mt. Olive Cemetery Board.
John was valedictorian of his Bauxite High School Class in 1927. He 
continued his education at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where 
he earned a mathematics degree in 1938, graduating with honors. He spent 
several years before and after graduating from the University teaching school 
in one?room schools in Saline County. In 1943, he began a 32 year career with 
Alcoa Mining Company. He moved his family to Bauxite and held a variety of 
positions with the company including: mining engineer, reforestation 
supervisor, land procurement and property manager. He and Boyce were one 
of the last families to move away from Bauxite when Alcoa closed its housing 
facilities at Bauxite. They moved to Benton where he lived for the remainder 
of his life.

He shared his lifelong passion for learning and teaching with his children, 
grandchildren, great?grandchildren, and others with whom he came in contact.
He is preceded in death by one grandson, Carl Reed. He is survived by one 
sister, Sylvia Bigbee of Okeechobee, Fl; five children and their spouses, 
Pauline Reed Bethel and her husband Jim of Benton, Helen Reed Scott and her 
husband Norman of Little Rock, Dan Reed and his wife Judy of Little Rock, 
Glen Reed and his wife Carolyn of Little Rock, and Carleta Reed Lambert and 
her husband Bob of Springdale; twelve grandchildren and their spouses, Ted 
Bethel of Benton, Claudette Bethel Ripley and her husband Randy of Little Rock,
John Bethel and his wife Renee of Benton, Justin Bethel and his wife Tammy 
of Marion, Angela Scott Johnson and her husband Randy of Ft. Worth, Texas, 
Cindy Scott?Huisman and her husband Clarke of Little Rock, Jason Reed and 
his wife Karen of Dallas, Texas, Kimberly Reed-Reynolds and her husband Tom 
of Ft. Smith, Kathy Reed of Atlanta, J.R. Reed of Fayetteville, Sarah Boyce 
Lambert and Rot Lambert of Springdale; and 18 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be at RollerBallard Funeral Home from 2-4 p.m. today. 
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 211 South Market, Benton, 
AR.