Palestine High School Alumni Association

10 / 31 / 1936  –  06 / 14 / 2006

Funeral services for Thomas Bennett Reed, 69, of the Harmony community, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 17, 2006, at Palestine Church with Evangelist Jeff Collins and Pastors David Haines and Danny Rodriguez officiating. Burial will follow at Land of Memory Cemetery under the direction of Herrington/Land of Memory Funeral Home.

Mr. Reed died Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at his residence.

He was born October 31, 1936, in Anderson County to James Andrew and Mary Alice Skeen Reed. A lifelong resident of Anderson County, he spent 50 years in the Harmony community where he was a rancher and served as pastor of Faith Community Church for the last 15 years.

He was chairman of the Board of Living Alternatives of Palestine and a member of the Palestine Ministerial Alliance at the time of his death. A devoted husband, father, grandfather and pastor, his vision and prayer for the future was that the people of Anderson County be touched by God.

Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Frieda Reed of Palestine; three daughters, Carol Watts and husband Albert of Apia, Western Samoa, Judy Watts and husband David, and Patti Walling and husband David of Palestine; two sons, Jimmy Reed and wife Tracy, and John Reed and wife Katie of Palestine; five brothers, Perry Reed and wife Martha, Frank Reed and wife Martha, John Reed and wife Marie, and Freddie Reed, all of Palestine, and Wilson Reed and wife Sherry of Troy; two sisters, Mary Krauss and husband Charlie of Oakwood and Ann Reed of Whitehouse; one uncle, Perry Reed of Palestine; and grandchildren, Jason Watts and wife Angela, Jennifer McKinney and husband Josh and Anna Watts, Charis, Barrett, Erin and Caden Watts, Courtney and Marcus Walling, Sarah, Caroline and Luke Reed and Ava Reed; and one great-granddaughter, Sophia Watts.

Pallbearers will be nephews. Honorary pallbearers will be Jimmy Downe, John McKinney, Timothy Triplett, James Gholson, Joel Brumley and David Mapp.

Condolence calls will be received from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Faith Community Church Missions, 8285 FM 645, Palestine, Texas, 75803.

Source: Palestine Herald-Press 06-16-2006