Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Reed, Roy L. January 8, 1937 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Patricia Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net May 31, 2022, 8:38 am Lake Odessa Wave-Times January 14, 1937 ROY REED DIES EARLY FRIDAY AT AGE OF 39 Had Been in Failing Health for Over Eight Years. Funeral Held at Home Sunday. L.Roy Reed, well known Lake Odessa man, after heroically fighting a gradually- losing battle against multiple Schlerosis for nearly nine years, passed into Eternity at about 2 o'clock Friday morning. While he had been practically confined to his home here for nearly four years, it was only during the last three months that he was compelled to remain in bed. During all these years, and even right up until the end, he was a particularly cheerful and very patient sufferer from what he realized was generally considered by the medical world to be an almost incurable malady. His last period of consciousness was at about 10 o'clock Thursday evening, soon after which he drowsed off into a coma never to awaken. The funeral, held from the late home on Sunday afternoon, was largely attended. The casket was banked in a room full of flowers. The Rev. Leon W. Manning, pastor of Central Methodist Church here, of which the deceased was a member, officiated. Pall bearers were the following nephews; Lloyd Reed of Holland, Vern Reed of Vermontville, Ivan Reed, Lake Odessa, Elwood Bachelder of Grand Rapids, and Walter Reed, Jr. Lake Odessa. Interment was made in Lakeside cemetery, the commitment services being conducted by the local Masonic order. Surviving are his widow, Margaret n. an eight year old daughter Mary Alice, his mother, Mrs.T.H.Reed, five brothers, Ernest H. in Sebewa, Earl, James W, Walter A. and Ray in Lake Odessa and three sisters, Mrs. Ross Townsend at Eagle, Mrs. Floyd Roush in Campbell and Mrs.Fay Bachelder in Grand Rapids. Roy the youngest member of the family, was born in Sebewa township on July 19, 1897. He attended the Lake Odessa high school where he was active in athletics and graduated with the class of 1918, of which he was an especially popular member. Following his graduation he entered the employ of the Alfred Brown Seed Co. in Grand Rapids as a traveling salesman. In the spring of 1922 he submitted to an operation for mastoiditis and after his apparent recovery accepted a position as district manager for the Sperry- Hutchison Co. with his headquarters in Lansing. While there he became acquainted with Miss Margaret Bowerman of Lockport, N.Y.who was the home economics teacher in the Bath School, and to whom he was married in May of 1924. In 1925 Mr and Mrs Reed moved to Canton, Ohio, where he had accepted a position as traveling salesman for the Kasco Milling Co. at Toledo. During the intervening years he experienced some trouble as after-effects of the mastoiditis, but not until in the spring of 1928 did his condition begin to cause him much apprehension. he consulted specialists who diagnosed his trouble as above stated but did not offer much encouragement as to the possibility of his gaining permanent relief.By fall of that years it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to get around so he came to Grand Rapids and purchased the R.I.Mitchell Brokerage Co., which he conducted for about a year and a half, and then found it necessary to dispose of the business. He then came back to Lake Odessa to make his home here and Mrs. Reed accepted the position as home economics teacher in the local schools. During the next years or two he was able to drive his car and get down town occasionally, but finally he had to give up this form of recreation. Everything was done for him that medical or surgical science could offer, but all to no avail, and he was given the best of care and attention, all of which assisted maternally in making his remaining years more pleasant. That Roy was cheerful resigned to the inevitable was evidenced many times by different thing he said. One of several illustrative of his attitude came during his last few days here. He was being taken more and more frequently with periods of deep coma from which it was becoming increasingly difficult to revive him. After being aroused from one of these he remarked to Dr. Peabody and the others around him;"Well, I see you've brought me back again." When Roy was in good health, he scintillated energy, ambition, optimism,, integrity, and a particular happy disposition, all of which characteristics being valuable assets to him as the successful salesman that he was, and especially during his long invalidism later on. Among those out of town who were in attendance at the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Ross Townsend of Eagle, Mr and Mrs Ernest H.Reed of Sebewa, Mr. and Mrs Floyd Roush of Campbell, Mr and Mrs Fay Bachelder and Mr and Mrs Maynard Meyers of Grand Rapids, Mrs.Harry Rigerman of Buffalo, NY; Fred Bowerman of Toronto, Canada; John, Percy and Nelson Bowerman of Lockport, N.Y. Mr and Mrs Ervin Howard of Dearborn, Mrs.Lloyd Reed of Holland, Mr and Mrs Robert Spaulding, and Mrs Forrest Townsend of Portland, Mrs.Vern Reed of Vermontville, Mr and Mrs W.J. Shumway and Miss Joyce Reed of Grand Rapids, Mr and Mrs Lawrence Knapp of Sebewa, Mr and Mrs Luke Harwood, and Mr and Mrs Will Harwood of Saranac, Mr and Mrs Floyd Benedict of Ionia, Mr and Mrs George Hazzard of Tremaynes Corners. Mr. andMrs. Robert L.Mitchell, Mr andMrs E.J. Mackamer, Mr and Mrs Stilson MacLeod, Mr and Mrs Russell Everdyk, Louis J.Wing and Victor A.Leslie, all of Grand Rapids; Neil W.Roe and Leon A. Beach of Chicago, Mr and Mrs Harold K.Royal, and Mr and Mrs Gus Marks of Shelby, and Clare and Hilton Felton of Detroit Additional Comments: Lakeside Cem.#6-7221 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/r/reed43373nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb