Obit: Reed, Lucrecia (1836 - 1911)

Contact: Ann Stevens

Email:  sdann88@yahoo.com 
 

Surnames: Reed, Marsh, Johnson, Benedict, Huckstead, Bruce, Burrows, Jones, Prucia 
 

----Source:  Neillsville Times (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.)  Oct 19, 1911 
 

Reed, Lucretia B. (June 15, 1836 - Oct 10, 1911) 
 
 

In the passing of Mrs. Thomas Reed, Clark county lost one of its true noblewomen, a lady who was known all along the Ridge and in this city for her benevolence, charity and inherent kindness.  Going to Clark county when it was but a wilderness, her noble nature had varied opportunities for demonstrating itself, and as the country became older and more generally settled her field of benevolence broadened until but few of the early residents cannot but recall some instance of her kindly nature.  She was born Lucretia B. Marsh to Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel Marsh at Hillsdale, Mich., on June 15, 1836.  At the age of 12 years she moved with her parents to Illinois, later to Iowa and still later she and her mother, then a widow, moved to Black River Falls and made their home with her sister, Mrs. C.R. Johnson.  In 1858 she was united in marriage to Thomas Reed and they settled at Arnold creek.  In 1863 they came to Clark county and took up the homestead which has ever since been her home.  She and her husband experienced all the hardships and privations of the early pioneers but the sturdiness of character, industry and inherent honesty prevailed to crown their labors with a just reward.  Their life, while it contained its full measure of labor and tribulations, was a peaceful and happy one and continued so until the union was broken by the death of Mr. Reed in 1885. 
 

Mrs. Reed was the mother of four children, two of whom died in infancy.  She is survived by her daughters, Mrs. Julius Benedict and Mrs. H.O. Huckstead.  She is also survived by two brothers, Russell and Thaddeus Bruce of Colorado, and three sisters, Mrs. Johnson of Black River Falls, Mrs. Sarah L. Burrows and Mrs. Uretta Jones of Wetmarsh, Colo. 
 

Mrs. Reed died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Huckstead, on Tuesday, Oct. 10^th, and was buried in the Neillsville cemetery Friday afternoon.  Services were held at the Methodist church in this city, Rev. Prucia giving a fitting memorial to the beautiful life just ended.  Mrs. Reed was carried to her last resting place by her grandsons.  The Pleasant Ridge Ladies Aid society attended the funeral in a body, and these ladies and the friends and neighbors did many kindly services during the last sickness of Mrs. Reed which are deeply appreciated by the family.  The high esteem and love in which Mrs. Reed was generally held was attested by the large concourse of sorrowing friends who attended the funeral and strove with each other in the rendering of some little act of kindness which would make her last days upon this earth more peaceful and her last resting place more beautiful.  A better, more kindly or true woman than Mrs. Reed never lived, for hers was a nature that strove to reflect the happiness, peace and sunshine of her life upon those with whom she came in contact, and to each day do some little act that would bring comfort to others and add to the overflowing measure of reward that is hers in a Higher Kingdom.