Nalletta Nell D. Reed

Nalletta Nell D. Reed was a very caring woman as well as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Selflessly, she put the interests of others before her own and would do anything for anyone. She worked and stayed active, yet Nell took great pleasure in just relaxing at home with the ones she loved.

Nalletta was born November 23, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the middle child of Francis J., Sr. and Mildred A. (Bennett) Gordon. At that time, the world economy was recovering from the Great Depression even as political matters were stirring in Europe. Americans were inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelts Fireside Chats and worked hard wherever they could to restore the prosperity of families and communities.

When Nell was young, the family moved to a farm outside of Churubusco, Indiana. She helped milk cows, tended garden, and worked in area onion fields after school to earn extra money. She was very active in sports and graduated from Churubusco High School with the Class of 1956. Never shying away from work, Nell and her sister and a friend took jobs with Chamberlin Products in nearby South Whitley. When they became acquainted with a local police officer and his wife, they ended up renting a room from the couple. Settling in South Whitley became more inevitable when Nell met a fellow employee, Edwin R. Reed.

Ed noticed Nell at work and was interested in getting to know her, but he took a round-about way to get there. First, he managed to have his friend and Nells sister Martha to agree to go out with him and that gave Ed the opportunity to ask Nell if she would like to join them. Eds plan worked and seven years later, after his military service, they were married. While he was away, Nell got used to driving his 1957 Pontiac, even drag racing it from stop sign to stop sign. When Ed returned home from the Army, he learned how much fun Nell had had and that she was recognized around town as the girl driving that Pontiac.

Nell and Ed married on June 10, 1961 at the Churubusco United Methodist Church and became a family of three when Wendy was born. Nell was a proud supporter of Wendy who, like her mother, played tennis and pursued the sport into college.

During Wendys middle school days, the family had taken a road trip to California and made many stops along the way, but other than that, Nell limited her travel to shopping trips. Sometimes she dragged Ed alongmainly to have him drive her around and carry packagesbut the highlight of her shopping excursions was going with her friend in Ft. Wayne. When Wendy got older, she and her mom would spend the day shopping in what became their annual Black Friday outing. In time, her granddaughter Danielle discovered the joy of shopping, and she and Nell would have great times shopping together.

In her work life, Nell was employed at Stumps in South Whitley and C. F. Gomma in Columbia City before retiring from Davis Association in 2014. Her hobbies included woodworking, scrapbooking, sewing, playing tennis,watching her grandchildren play sports, andgoing to basketball games that Ed coached.Nell was right there photographing her boys as they competed.

Nell was the go-to person of the family for anyone needing something fixed, stitched or cooked. Whether someone was searching for a home remedy to get a stain out or needed an item to be sewn or wanted to find a recipe, Nell had the answers. Her cook book collection was massive for someone who was not big on cooking. However, she did enjoy baking cakes and other goodies for her family, especially because she knew her grandson Josh enjoyed them. Thats the kind of person Nell wasshe did for others more than for herself.

Nalletta Nell D. Reed, 77, of Columbia City, Indiana, passed away at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at her home. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Ed Reed; daughter, Wendy (Jeff) Walker of Columbia City; two grandchildren, Danielle Walker of Cincinnati and Josh Walker of Columbia City; and granddogs, Zoey, Boomer, Bruegger and Roxy. She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Martha Taylor and Thelma Francies; and an infant brother, Francis Gordon, Jr.

Visitation will be on Saturday, December 19, 2015 from 1 to 5 p.m. at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Dr., Columbia City. There will be a graveside service at a later date at South Whitley Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be given in Mrs. Reeds memory to Visiting Nurse Hospice Home or the Humane Society of Whitley County. To read Nallettas life story or to send her family online condolences, visit www.demoneygrimes.com .