Verdas Henry Reed, 96

Verdas Henry Reed, 96, passed away peacefully into the arms of his Heavenly Father on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, at his home in Kalispell. He was born in a log home on July 19, 1913, in Lorenzo, Idaho, to James Henry and Maud (Armstrong) Reed. Verdas was the first of 10 children and spent his childhood on the dry farm on Birch Creek east of Ririe, Idaho, and on the small farm on Butler Island. He attended a one-room school house on Butler Island and later went to Ririe Elementary School for the remainder of his early education. After grade school he went to Rigby High School for two years and then to Ucon High School the next two years, graduating in the spring of 1932. He attended Ricks College for one quarter but had to return to the farm to help his family. Verdas had always loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ and had served with all his heart in the work of the Lord. He served his first full-time mission from 1935 through 1937 in the Southern States Mission under LeGrande Richards. It was there that he met Bardella Bulkeley, from Burley, Idaho, who was serving in the same mission. After their missions, they became reacquainted and eventually married Oct. 6, 1938, in the Salt Lake Temple. Verdas began his career as a farmer in Ririe on the family farm. After his mission and marriage they moved to Leslie, Idaho, where all six of their children were born: Camille, James LeGrande, Marie Louise, JoAnn, Verdella and Frank Leland. They lived there until 1950 when the family moved to a farm outside of Arco, Idaho. He went to work on the Arco Desert for the Atomic Energy Commission as a carpenter. While working there he injured his back and had surgery in 1959 which required him to find other type of work. He tried his hand as a salesman, first as a real estate and life insurance agent, and later he sold pre-need funeral plans in the Idaho Falls area. In 1963, the company transferred him to a cemetery in Pocatello, Idaho. The family moved there. In 1971, he was offered employment with the Latter-day Saints church in the Independence, Mo., Visitors Center and in 1972 he became responsible for all the church historic sites in Missouri which included Independence Visitors Center, Liberty Jail Visitors Center, Richmond Cemetery, Far West Temple Site and a small area at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. He worked there until 1978, at the age of 65, when the church retired him and he and Bardella returned to Burley, Idaho, to care for her aging mother, Luella Buckeley. While in Burley, Verdas began yet another career working for the Idaho State Inspection Service sampling potatoes. He worked on and off for the next 21 years when he retired again at age 86. In 2005, he decided to move to Kalispell to be close to three of his girls, Camille in Bigfork, JoAnn in Whitefish and Marie in Kalispell. He lived with Marie until the time of his passing. Verdas has always had a love for people and his gentle smile and loving heart made you his friend from the first visit. He was always there for his family and they were the joy of his life. He had a love for music and shared it throughout his life in choirs and other singing groups. Even at the age of 95 he was still singing in the Ward Choir in the Bigfork Ward. He was active even at age 96 cutting lawns and building things. He was an amazing example of how to live a good Christian life and his passing will leave a big hole in the hearts of all who knew him. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Bardella; one brother, Glenn; and two sisters, Eloise and Eleanor; one grandson; and two great-grandchildren. He is survived by his six children, Camille Gloschat and husband, J.A. Fred, of Bigfork and Sun City West, Ariz., James Reed and wife, Velma, of Burley, Marie Love and husband, Larry, of Kalispell, JoAnn Hudson and husband, Mark, of Whitefish, Verdella Grout and husband, Richard, of Driggs, Idaho, and Frank Reed and wife, Claudia, of Tooele, Utah; four sisters, Ruth Withers and Carol Sue Nef, both of Rexburg, Idaho, Delaine Young and husband, Mick, of Idaho Falls, and Barbara Clarke and husband, J. Richard, of Salt Lake City; two brothers, Clare Reed, and Gale Reed and wife, Delilah, all of Ririe; 40 grandchildren; 116 great-grandchildren; and 22 great-great-grandchildren; with many other family and friends. The family will greet people, in Kalispell, at an open house visitation from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Chapel. Funeral services for Verdas Reed will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Latter-day Saints Fourth Ward Church, 515 E. 16th St., in Burley, Idaho, with burial to follow at the Pleasant View Cemetery. The visitation in Burley will be one hour prior to the service in the Relief Society Room at the church. Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Verdas family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to view Verdas guest book, offer condolences and share memories.