Bill Reed, 83

Bill Reed, 83
Funeral Celebration of Life services for Bill Reed, age 83, of Lenox, Iowa, who passed away Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at Lenox Care Center, Lenox, Iowa. Services were held Monday, November 12, 2018, at 10:00 AM at the United Methodist Church in Lenox. Visitation was Sunday from 2 to 4 at the Lenox Community Center. Interment at North Fairview Cemetery in Lenox, Iowa. Memorials may be given in his name. Memories can be shared with the family at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ritchie Funeral Home of Lenox, where we ‘Celebrate Life’.
Bill B. Reed
Bill B. Reed, son of William O. and Irma (Belding) Reed, was born on November 28, 1934. He was the youngest of nine children, attended country school, and graduated in 1954 from Lenox High School. Skating with his friends at Hale’s Villa Rio in Lenox was one of the fondest memories of his younger days.
After dating all through High School, Bill was united in marriage to Janet Trost on June 6th, 1954. In March of 1955, they moved to the Charlie Belding farm south of Lenox where their four children grew up: Jerry Michael, Mark Randal, Douglas Todd, and Gina Kay. The first few years of farming were tough, but with the help of Janet’s dad and his machinery, they survived by raising hogs, feeding cattle, and milking 30 cows. Farming was the love of Bill’s life. He was always the happiest when driving a tractor over his fields or feeding the cattle which he had just purchased. Bill was a great believer in conservation and always had his farms well terraced and tiled. The Reed’s survived two tornados which hit their farm in 1957 and again in 1962. As the boys grew older, Bill expanded his farming operation. He was a hard worker and had acquired 800 acres of land before Reed Farms was established. Two of those farms were Century Farms: the George Trost Farm in 2001 and the Charlie Belding Farm in 2002. Bill was honored to receive the 1989 Rural Good Citizen Award presented by the Lenox Rotary Club.
As Bill’s children were growing up, he enjoyed going to their many sport activities. He never missed a football game, a baseball game, a basketball game, or a track meet if one of the kids was on the team. He and the boys attended and competed in many garden tractor pulls. Gina, of course, had her dad wrapped around her little finger from Day One, and could talk him into doing things with her no matter how busy he was on the farm. The family owned a small camper and spent many weekends camping, boating, and swimming. They even went to California one summer in this small camper and picked up a cousin to enjoy Disney Land and the sights in San Diego. As a 53 year member of the Clearfield Lions, Bill enjoyed taking his family camping at the State Fair where the Lions run the shuttle. He also enjoyed watching Gina and Mark dance in the Bill Riley Talent competition.
Bill was a member of the Lenox Methodist Church. He and Janet enjoyed playing golf at the Lenox Country Club, square-dancing with friends, and belonging to several card clubs. After Janet retired from teaching, they spent eight winters in the Alamo Rec Park in Texas where they made many great lifelong friends. They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with a dinner and dance hosted by their children. They spent their 60th Wedding Anniversary at the Lake of the Ozarks hosted again by all of their family. Bill and Janet spent the latest years enjoying their home in Lenox, their eleven grandchildren, and their ten great-grandchildren.
Bill is survived by his wife of 64 years, Janet; four children: Jerry (Julie) Reed of Lenox, Mark (Lori) Reed of West Palm Beach, FL, Doug Reed of Eldon, MO, and friend Kim Stiens of Maryville, MO; and Gina (Monte) Broeckelman of Harlan, IA; eleven grandchildren: Jason (Alicia) Reed , Jennifer (Seth) Evans , Josh (Jessi) Reed , Jordan Reed all of Lenox, Brandi (Josh) Groce of Nixa, MO, Logan Reed of Eldon, MO, Spencer (Kimber) Barry of Dodge City, KS, Jaci and Abby Broeckelman both of Harlan, IA, Derrick Broeckelman of Lawrence, KS, and Tyler Broeckelman of Hays, KS; ten great-grandchildren: Parker, Zoey, Jackson, Reese, Dawson, Danica, Tenley, Marshall, Briar, and Luna; brother-in-law, Jack (Gill) Trost of Apple Valley, CA, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Preceding Bill in death are: his parents, his four sisters: Nina Baker, Lomeda Brammer, Lola Dillon, Eva Jones, and his four brothers: Orville Reed, Charley Reed, Lewis Reed, and Donald Reed.