Louise Reed

(From Clark Funeral Home)

Effie Louise Reed was born on November 30, 1933, in Greentop, Missouri, one of three children to John and Rita (Patterson) Cooper. She entered into rest on November 10, 2024, in Joplin, Missouri at the age of 90. 

Louise attended and graduated from High School in El Dorado, Kansas and later graduated from Crowder College in 1984 with an associate degree. 

 On September 15, 1968, she and her late husband, husband Dr. Dell Reed, moved to Neosho from Parma, Ohio, for Dr. Reed to assume the position of President of Crowder College. Louise spent her life serving others, as a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She supported her children attending ball games, band concerts and as a Cub Scout leader. She was a devoted homemaker and enjoyed knitting and sewing. 

 In 1986, following the retirement of her husband, they relocated to Joplin, where she co-pastored with her husband, Dell, at Mt. Pleasant and Newman Road Churches in Joplin. She continued her work in the ministry serving at St. James in Joplin, Diamond Methodist Church, Community Church in Joplin and currently was a member of First Church in Joplin, where she served in the visitation ministry and as a Sunday School teacher. She was a member of multiple Women’s Bible Study and prayer groups. 

On September 1, 1951, in Benton, Kansas, Louise and Lloyd Dell Reed were united in marriage and he preceded her in death on June 21, 2003. 

Louise is survived by three sons, Gary Reed and wife, Debbie of Neosho, Brad Reed and wife, Raven of Springfield, Michael ‘Mick’ Reed and wife, Pam of Oak Ridge, North Carolina and daughter-in-law, Priscilla Jeffers Reed of Neosho; grandchildren, Suzanne Reed Phillips, Scott Reed, Alex Reed, Andrew Reed, Joseph Reed, Josh Reed, Jay Reed, Christopher Reed, Matthew Reed, Allee Reed, Matthew Baumann, Chelsea Lee and Bridgett Plunkett; great grandchildren, Bryan and Dallas Phillips, Peter Reed, Claire Reed, Evelyn Reed, Makenzi Farley and Hagen Lee, and one sister, Patsy Gottschalk and husband, Larry of Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

In addition to her husband and parents, she is preceded in death by a son, Larry Reed, grandson, Larry David Reed and brother, John D. Cooper. 

Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 15, 2024, at 10 am at the Frist Church, 4th and Byers in Joplin, Missouri, Pastor Dexter Snyder will officiate. Interment will follow in the Neosho IOOF Cemetery and serving as pallbearers will be Andrew Reed, Christopher Reed, Jay Reed, Josh Reed, Matthew Reed and Scott Reed. Honorary pallbearers will be Rick Taylor, Ray Taylor, Bill Patterson, Denzil Brown and Bob Kulp. The family will receive friends at a time of visitation, Thursday evening, from 6 pm to 7 pm at the Clark Funeral Home, Neosho. 

Contributions in memory of Louise may be made to the Crowder College Scholarship Foundation, c/o Clark Funeral Home, PO Box 66; Neosho, Missouri 64850.