Reed, Oran 1908-1966

REED, BALLET, COUPER, NICHOLS, SHARON, MATHERLY, BROCK, NIDAY

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 10/24/2012 at 15:11:14

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register; April 4, 1966

IN TRACTOR ACCIDENT

Oran Reed, 57,
Killed Near
Here Saturday

A farm vehicle accident on a road near Rock Creek Lake Saturday afternoon claimed the life of a Grinnell man.

Oran T. Reed, 57, of 420 Fourth Avenue, was killed at 4:20 p.m. when he was pinned beneath the wheel of a tractor.

Reed had been helping clean seed oats on the Virgil Taylor farm and was working with Ivan Dee. He had taken the tractor and wagon to get a load of oats. Fatal mishap occurred as he was driving up a hill on a gravel road near the Paul Wilson farm about one mile east of Rock Creek Lake.

It was surmised by investigating officers that trouble had developed with the tractor and he got off the machine. While he was between the tractor and wagon, the tractor rolled backwards, jackknifed, and pinned him beneath the left rear wheel. Death was instantaneous and was attributed to a basilar skull fracture.

Dee, who had been following Reed, discovered the tragedy just moments later.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday from the Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. J. Lester Williams, pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, officiating. Organ music will be provided by Mrs. Leonard Pearce.

Pallbearers will be James Berman, Gordon Hendrickson, James H. Manatt, Keith McCammant, Harold Thompson and John Winchell. Burial will be in Hazelwood cemetery.

He was the son of Rhynaldo and Melinda May Ballet Reed and was born in Peoria, Okla., on May 18th, 1908. When he was a youngster his family moved to Iowa and the Grinnell area. He also lived in Wisconsin and Kansas for a time, but later returned to Grinnell.

On Mar. 28th, 1936, at Grinnell, he was united in marriage with Marjorie Couper. To this union were born eight children: Charles Edward Reed of Cedar Rapids, Thomas Oran Reed of the USS Ogden, United States Navy, presently in the Pacific; Mrs. Albert (Barbara) Nichols of Atlantic; Mrs. Leonard (Patricia) Sharon of Kansas City, Kan.; Donald Eugene Reed of the U.S. Navy, Treasure Island, San Francisco, Calif.; Mrs. James (Bonnie) Matherly of Marshalltown; Susan Kay and Cindy Mae Reed, both of the family home.

Mr. and Mrs. Reed made their home in Grinnell until 1950 when they moved to Malcom. They returned to Grinnell in 1960, and he was employed at the Rudy Patrick Seed Company. For the past few days he had been working on the Virgil Taylor farm northwest of Grinnell.

He is survived by his wife and eight children and 11 grandchildren.

Also surviving are five brothers and two sisters: Mrs. Richard (Susan Brock) of Galena, Kan., Rodway Reed of West Plains, Mo.; Jake Reed; Mrs. Albert (Lulu) Niday of Ferguson Mo.; Jarret of Columbus, Kan.; William Reed of Grinnell and John Reed of Sarasota, Fla.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Charles, Clark and Lincoln Reed; and one sister, Mrs. Florida Niday.