Gracie I. Reed

Dec. 30, 1940 - Sept. 29, 2021

 

October 7, 2021

Gracie I. Reed

Gracie I. Reed

Gracie I. Reed passed away peacefully at her home in Rosalia, Wash., Wednesday, September 29, 2021. She was born December 30, 1940, at 1:30 a.m. with only her father, Les Reed, in attendance. Shortly after daylight, Pearl and Alice FitzGerald arrived to help. Her oldest sister, Pat, can remember getting up and discovering Gracie in a doll bed that Jack, the hired hand, had made for a Christmas present. At the time of Gracie's birth, the Reed family was living on the Crippen Place outside of St. John, Washington.

In 1943, the family moved to the Conover Ranch south of Ewan, Wash. Gracie started school at Ewan Public School. In a later move, the Reeds moved to Rosalia, Wash. She entered school at Rosalia and graduated with the class of 1958. Gracie was a talented basketball player, whose team played against several Spokane semi-pro teams. She attended Holy Names Academy on a basketball scholarship. Quite a coup for a small-town girls' basketball player. Her working career started at Rosalia Producers, where she drove grain trucks, hauling seed for local farmers, who had a contract to grow seed. For many years she worked at the local bowling alley, The Rose Bowl. Gracie was an excellent bowler and participated in several leagues. Many a young person spent their free time with her at the bowling alley. After her truck driving and bowling alley career came to an end, Gracie ran the grain sample room at Co- Ag for a number of years.

She was an eager follower of the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Seattle Mariners. Gracie could give statistics on each player. She was also an eager follower of her nieces and nephews' high school and college sporting events.

For 42 years Gracie was an active participant in the operation of Reeds' Quarter Horse Ranch. Her specialty was knowing the bloodlines for their breeding program. She put many miles on the trucks, transporting horses to shows and preparing them for the showring. And she was very involved with the day-to-day operation of the ranch.

Gracie was predeceased by her parents, Leslie and Lucille Reed, a sister Marilyn Peterson, and nephews Wade Reed and Ward Pierce. She is survived by a sister, Pat Pierce of St. John, Wash., a brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Jan Reed of Rosalia, Wash., and several nieces and nephews.

Gracie was a granddaughter of Whitman County pioneers J.R. and Gracie (White) Mulkey and Frank and Ida (Conover) Reed.

A graveside service for family will be held on October 16. The family suggests memorial gifts in her memory be sent to the Rosalia Ambulance Fund, PO Box 291, Rosalia, Wash., or to Gifted Grannys, PO Box 103, Rosalia, Wash.

Bruning Funeral Home is caring for the family. On-line condolences may be made at http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com.

 

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