Thomas E. R. Reed

Thomas E. R. Reed farmer, dairyman, justice of the peace, etc., at Paul P. O., Kent county, Mich., was born on the farm where he now lives, May 4, 1847, and a son of Porter and Polly (DeLong) Reed. The father came to this farm in 1833, being the first family to locate a home on the shore of Reed’s lake--which is named for this pioneer. Two uncles, Lewis and Ezra Reed, located on government land, taking a quarter of a section each. Porter Reed owned and cleared up a fine farm, which was subsequently divided among four children, the old homestead falling in part to Thomas E., and he subsequently purchased the interests of the other heirs. This gives him the home in which he was born. The father came from Ilion, Herkimer county, N. Y. where he was born July 11, 1812, and where the parents were married; the father died here at the age of forty-five years; the mother survived him until December 2, 1883; she was born November 5, 1813. The family of four children were named Julia, born August 22, 1838, died May 29, 1868, the wife of Daniel Defendorf; Gibson, born July 31, 1840, is living in Grand Rapids, is a farmer and served in the same regiment in the Civil war with his brother, Thomas E.; Thomas E. is the subject of this sketch, and Ransom R., born August 23, 1854, is the youngest.

Thomas E. Reed was educated in the district schools and has always been a farmer. He served gallantly in the Union army during the Civil war as a member of company B., Twenty-first Michigan volunteer infantry, and was seriously wounded in the battle of Bentonville, N.C., for which he receives a pension.

Mr. Reed was married in Ottawa county, Mich., February 21, 1867, to Miss Mary L. Walker, who was born in St. Clair county, Mich., a daughter of Hampton L. and Mary L. Walker, natives of Vermont, but married in St. Clair county, Mich. The father was a shoemaker in early life, but in later years became a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Walker had a family of eight sons and four daughters, named as follows: Alpheus .; Marcia, died in infancy; Henry H.; William, killed in battle of the Wilderness during the Civil war; Mary; John N., died in hospital from wounds received in action before Knoxville; Marcia Euraina; Albert, dead; Milo B.; Alvin; Hiram, and Harriet Sophia, dead.

Mr. and Mrs. Reed have three children living and one deceased: Kittie Zoe, wife of Charles E. Morgan, lives at Reed’s Lake; Polly Adel, wife of Charles Snow; Caroline, married to George Young, lives with the family, and William I. died at the age of nineteen months, although the second born.

Mr. Reed has been justice of the peace for three years, town treasurer several years and has also served three years as village president. He is a member of the G.A.R. and of the Court of Honor, and politically is a republican. Two of Mrs. Reed’s brothers were killed in the Civil war while serving in the Union army.

Thomas E. Reed is one of the most honored men of his township, and the family name is one that will be remembered with esteem as long as there is a resident in the county.