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 Nov. 23, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pa., 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. Roosevelt’s 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. 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 Nell’s 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. Ed’s 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 Wendy’s 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 along—mainly to have him drive her around and carry packages—but the highlight of her shopping excursions was going with her friend in Fort 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, and going 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. That’s the kind of person Nell was—she did for others more than for herself.

Nalletta “Nell” D. Reed, 77, Columbia City, passed away at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, at her home.

She is survived by her husband of 54 years: Ed Reed; daughter: Wendy (Jeff) Walker, Columbia City; two grandchildren: Danielle Walker, Cincinnati, Ohio; and Josh Walker, 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 from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home, Columbia City. There will be a graveside service at a later date at South Whitley Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be given in Mrs. Reed’s memory to Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home or the Humane Society of Whitley County.