Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Reed, Lehman Thoren  January 10 2005
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K T bluewolf@onemain.com January 13, 2005, 2:10 pm

The Bakersfield Californian 
Lehman Thoren Reed
Services: Fri., Jan. 14, 11:30 a.m.

Chapel services will be held on Friday, january 14, 2005, at Greenlawn 
Mortuary, 3700 River Blvd., 11:30 a.m., to celebrate the life of Lehman Thoren 
Reed who passed away on January 10, 2005, at Mercy Hospital. 

Lehman was born October 22, 1921 in Licking, MO. He was the youngest of three 
sons of Cecil and Ella Reed. In the 1930s, the Reed family followed the great 
California oil boon to Kern County, settling in Taft, California. Lehman 
graduated from Taft High School in 1939 and attended Taft Junior College for 
one year before heading south to work in the Long Beach shipyards as a welder. 
In 1942, Lehman joined the Army Air Corps. His early training revealed a 
special talent with the 50 cal. Machine gun and soon found himself in Las 
Vegas as a Gunnery Sergeant training gunners for all positions on the B-17. 
Lehman was joined by his Taft High sweetheart, Wilma Brantley and, on August 
30, 1943, they were married, celebrating their 61st anniversary this past 
summer.

After the war, Lehman headed for the oilfields of Taft. He worked for Standard 
Oil Co. until 1953 when he moved his family to Bakersfield and began a long, 
33-year association with Midway Fishing Tool Oil Co. Lee became a manager and 
head of research and development. During his tenure at Midway and in the 
subsequent years after, Lehman had registered over a dozen patents in oil 
recovery and production equipment. He and longtime friend, Bob Rupp formed 
Diversionary Production Company.

Lehman is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Kenneth Roy Reed of 
MO, brother, Clovis Reed of Avenal and his grandson, Jonathon Karr of 
Bakersfield.

Lehman is survived by his wife of 61 years, Wilma E. Reed, daughter, Lane Karr 
and husband, Jerry and their children, Jeff Karr and wife, Debbie of Visalia, 
CA, Jim Karr and wife, Elizabeth of Pasadena and daughter, Elizabeth Tilson 
and husband, Scott of Lubbock, TX. Son, Kenneth Reed and wife, Dana and their 
daughters, Trisha Fike and her husband, Joe and Meghan Reed, all of 
Bakersfield. Son, Mark Reed and son, Mike Reed and his wife, Darla and their 
children, Caleb and Carson Reed and Kristen and Natalie. Lehman and Wilma also 
have five wonderful great-grandchidlren, Kayla, Jon, and Kory Karr, Judd 
Tilson and Clancy Karr. Lehman also leaves a special nephew, Cecil Reed and 
his wife, Carol.

Lehmans friends and family will miss his humor and wit; his special bar-b-que 
sauce and creamy garlic dip. Lehman takes with him his special ingredients for 
his marinade that was the hit of many Pyles Boys Camp Bar-b-ques (They never 
knew that the quarter-cup of everclear or white lightening is what did the 
trick). Leman leaves, however, a legacy of honesty, integrity, independence 
and the notion that you owe a full days work for a full days pay. Lehman 
taught us to respect but question authority and that, ultimately, we are 
responsible for our own decisions. He was my father, I was his son, and this 
gives me a great sense of pride.

Visitation begins today, Thursday, 2-8 p.m.

Greenlawn Mortuary Funeral Directors 


Additional Comments:
Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased.

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