Robert George Reed

Posted

(Dec. 12, 2006)

Funeral services were conducted Saturday, Dec. 16 at Cody United Methodist Church for Robert George Reed, who died Dec. 12 at Cody’s West Park Hospital. He was 79.

Mr. Reed was born in Frannie on Dec. 5, 1927, to Robert R. and Eunice J. (Barber) Reed. His early life was spent in small towns along the Burlington Northern Railroad, for whom his father worked as a telegrapher and station master. His education was completed at Greybull High School in 1945 where he graduated in absentia, having answered the call to serve his country in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

He served with distinction aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saginaw Bay until contracting rheumatic fever, which ended his military service.

After his honorable discharge, George returned to Wyoming and married his high school sweetheart, Helen Charlotte Scharen, on Oct. 26, 1947, in Greybull. He worked many jobs during the early years of their lives together. By the time they moved to Cody in 1955 where he started his engineering/surveying career at the firm of Graham & Bereman, the last of their five children was on the way.

In 1966, he began his 22-year employment with the U.S. Forest Service, retiring in June of 1988. During his tenure on the Shoshone National Forest, he participated in the building of roads and bridges, timber sales and the difficult duty of fighting forest fires. In retirement, George and Helen traveled throughout Wyoming, the United States, and abroad to Switzerland, visiting friends and relatives and doing genealogical research.

In 1948, he joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Greybull, and in 1952, he transferred to the Robert E. Bottles Post of the VFW in Cody. The VFW was an organization where he could actively demonstrate his patriotism, his passionate love for his country and the men and women who have answered the call to serve it. He held top offices locally and at the state level, and he also held positions of national prominence. One of the duties that he truly loved was his participation in the VFW Honor Guard, serving as Commander of the unit until his death. He left active participation in the VFW in 2002 after 54 years service to the organization.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Helen, in Cody; his children, including Nancy Holm (Glen) of Powell, Charlotte (David) Wright, Ben (Sharon Leroy) Reed, Sharon (Danny) Smith and Ron (Carrie) Reed; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; sisters Carrie Thayer and Lorraine Lorenzen; brother Kenneth Reed; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Tom, and his half-brother, George.

Burial was in Riverside Cemetery, Cody, with military rites under the direction of Ballard Funeral Home. The family would appreciate memorial contributions to the VFW Honor Guard in care of the Reed family at 1331 Red Butte Avenue, Cody, WY 82414.

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