Pike County Missouri Obituaries - Henrietta P. "Polly" Reed

Obituary from The Hannibal Courier Post,
Hannibal, MO
Web posted June 13, 2006:

Henrietta P. "Polly" Reed
Louisiana July 2, 1913 - June 4, 2006

LOUISIANA - Henrietta P. "Polly" Reed, 92, of Louisiana, passed away at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4, 2006, at Maple Grove Lodge Nursing Home. She was born July 2, 1913, in Eolia to Alice Sanderson-Pollard and Lewis R. Pollard.

Polly attended Rockford Grade School near Clopton and then graduated from Eolia High School in 1930. She later attended Hannibal-LaGrange College and Culver-Stockton College where she received a bachelor of science degree in education. Polly taught school for 31 years. She began her teaching career in 1932, in a one-room schoolhouse, Mount Zion School. After three years, she started teaching at Ebenezer School in Pike County, a little country school where she had only six students. Polly went on to teach in Ashburn and then Louisiana RII schools where she retired in 1979.

Henrietta "Polly" married Floyd R. Branstetter in March 1934. To this union four children were born, Floyd W. "Brandy" Branstetter, Eddie Lee "Chick" Branstetter, Margaret Ann Ray-Branstetter and Hazel Lea Branstetter-Perkins.

Polly married Joe Perkins in June 1965. Joe had three children, William Perkins, Eddie Perkins and Karen Perkins-Lynn. Joe preceded Polly in death April 9, 1973.

In June 1975, Polly married Ira T. Reed who preceded her in death May 6, 1997. Ira had three children, Bill Reed, Florence DeWeese and Carol Jenkins.

Polly was also preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Georgia Leah Benjamin and Emma Margaret Gessman; one brother, Russell Pollard; one daughter, Margaret Ann Ray-Branstetter; one stepson, Eddie Wayne Perkins; two grandsons, Eddie Drew Branstetter and John Wesley Chamberlain; and two sons-in-law, Gene DeWeese and Dwayne "Deke" Herndon.

She leaves behind two sons, Brandy Branstetter and wife, Sherry, and Chick Branstetter and wife, Gail; and one daughter, Hazel Perkins, all of Louisiana. She leaves behind five stepchildren, Karen Lynn and husband, Alan, William Perkins and wife, Jill, Bill Reed and wife, Berry, Florence DeWeese, and Carol Jenkins and husband, Don, all five children residing in Louisiana. Also surviving are many grandchildren; great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchildren; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Polly was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Louisiana where she also taught Sunday school. She was also a member of the Retired Teachers Association.

Funeral services were at 10 am. Wednesday, June 7, at Collier Funeral Home in Louisiana with the Rev. Ben Teague officiating. Rev. Teague also sang a cherished song of Polly's called "Suppertime" accompanied by pianist Janice Griffith. Steve Holland of St. Louis sang "I Can Only Imagine." Other songs played were "How Great Thou Art" and "Wind Beneath My Wings."

Visitation was from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Pike County Home Health and Hospice, the American Heart Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or the First Baptist Church.

Pallbearers were six of Polly's grandsons, Brent Branstetter of Bowling Green, Tim Branstetter of Springfield, Ill., Derrick Branstetter of Cuba, Mo., Gary Dean Ray of St. Charles, Brad Perkins, also of St. Charles, and Brian Perkins of Louisiana. She was laid to rest at Riverview Cemetery in Louisiana.