In Minden, Louisiana, Lionel Reed, who was 90 years old and had previously lived in West Monroe, departed to be with his Lord. His wife of 74 years, Charlie Jane Peterson Reed, is the only person who will remember him. After becoming high school sweethearts, they eloped across the state border from Texas to Waurika, Oklahoma on November 7, 1942. They had grown up in Nocona, Texas, and were raised there.
During World War II, Mr. Reed enlisted in the Navy in 1943 in order to provide assistance and defense for his nation. During the time when he was reassigned to the military boot repair shop in San Diego, California, his fledgling understanding of boot production was the factor that ultimately saved his life from a ship that sank. After he was discharged from the military, he continued his pursuit of perfection in the craft of hand tooling and creative endeavors involving leather.
His uncle approached him when he was approximately 12 years old and asked him if he would be interested in becoming a saddlemaker. He constructed his first saddle. The passion and fascination he had for leather never diminished. Over the course of his career, he rose to prominence as a saddle maker and a great leather craftsman. Creating saddles for horsemen from various walks of life, from rodeo stars to government dignitaries, among other types of horsemen.
His hand-tooled leather creations included anything that could possibly be made of leather or coated with leather. His inventions included everything. In later years of his life, he rehabilitated and personalized old trucks from the ground up. He also fitted the whole interior of the truck with hand-tooled leather, including the headliner, dash, door, sun visor, console, steering wheel, floor mats, and everything else. Many times, he was awarded the title of best of show.
Around 1948, when he was still a young adult, he made the decision to devote his life to spreading the message of the Gospel of Christ. As a result of his sense of calling to the ministry, he decided to forego his goals of becoming a young farmer in order to enroll in Southwestern Assemblies of God Bible College, which is located in Waxahachie, Texas.
Across the southern region, he vigorously preached the gospel by holding tent revivals, evangelizing, pastoring, and building churches. His love to share what he had learned with anybody who would listen was the only thing that could surpass his drive to learn more about the Bible and improve his understanding of the words of Scripture.
All those who had the pleasure of knowing him will miss his easy smile and hearty laugh, which was as big as Texas. Two of his children, Lionel C. Reed and his wife Janet, live in West Monroe, Louisiana; Kay Read and her husband Bill live in Summerfield, Louisiana; and Leah Hemphill and her husband David live in Nashville, Tennessee. He is also survived by eight grandkids and eight great-grandchildren.
The funeral services will be held on April 5, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., at the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home in West Monroe, Louisiana. The Reverend David Hemphill will preside over the ceremony. On Thursday, visitation will begin at one o’clock in the afternoon and continue until the time of the service. Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Calhoun, Louisiana will be the location where Reverend Reed will be laid to rest.
