William Albert Reed

ABEL, BIRD, FRICKE, HUDSON, MITZEL, MORGAN, REED

Posted By: Cindy (email)
Date: 10/21/2025 at 16:07:24

William Albert Reed was born on August 21, 1933, to Berle Arletta (Abel) and Edgar Harmon Reed. He graduated from Winthrop High School in 1951 and went on to attend Iowa State University. In 1952, Bill returned to help with the farm after his mother's passing.

Bill married Rosalie Morgan in 1953. In June of the same year, he was drafted into the United States Army and served during the Korean conflict. In 1955, Bill returned home to the family farm northeast of Winthrop. There, he and his wife, Rosalie, raised their three children.

Bill and Rosalie enjoyed taking many trips throughout the United States with their children in their thirteen-foot Winnebago. Bill enjoyed hunting, fishing, and trips to Ontario to catch northern pike and walleye pike.

He trusted in Jesus as his Lord and Savior and took great joy in sharing his faith with others. He and Rosalie led lay witness missions in the United Methodist Church. He became a lay preacher in the United Methodist Church. He served on the hospital board of the People’s Memorial Hospital for many years.

In 1994, he and his wife Rosalie graduated from Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He founded the local chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship. He and Rosalie ministered to people in Russia, Tanzania, and Congo. They later returned to Tanzania for a number of years.

After Rosalie passed away, Bill married Shirley Bird. They continued to take mission trips to Tanzania. During his final years, he enjoyed driving around looking for bald eagles and their nests.

Bill entered into his eternal rest on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Lexington Estate, Independence, IA, at the age of 92.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Berle and Edgar Reed, his sister Joan Gillette, his wife Rosalie, and his wife Shirley.

He is survived by his three children, Stephen (Mary) Reed, Janice (Lance) Fricke, and Warren (Julie) Reed, his four grandchildren, Amber (Andy) Hudson, Amanda (Alan) Mitzel, Elliott (Brooke) Reed, and Michael (Krista) Reed, and eight great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 3 PM until 5 PM on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at the Reiff Family Center – Funeral Home & Crematory in Independence, IA.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11 AM on Monday at the funeral home.