Virginia Opal Thompson Reed

Virginia T. Reed died peacefully in her home February 25, 2013. She was born on February 22, 1910 to India Shortt Thompson and Bruce Albert Thompson in St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated from Soldan High School in 1928 and entered William Woods College (now William Woods University) in Fulton, Missouri in the fall of 1928 as a Music Major. She was active in sports, glee club, was president of the senior class and member of Phi Beta, a national music fraternity. She graduated in May of 1930.

In 1931 Virginia went to work for Scruggs, Vandervoort and Barney, an elite department store in St. Louis. After being there just a month, the Assistant Personnel Director asked her if she would like to work in the Personnel Office. She was delighted. A couple of months later the Personnel Director died and Mrs. Blood, who hired her, moved up as Personnel Director. Then Virginia moved up as Assistant Personnel Director, a position she dearly loved.

She met her husband George M. Reed there. He was a shoe buyer. They were married August 3, 1935 at St. Michael and St. George Episcopal Church. In 1936 her husband left Vandervort's and went to work for Brown Shoe Co. in the Central Division. Their daughter Ann Thompson Reed was born on April 30, 1938. That year Brown Shoe Co. closed the Central Division. George then went to work for Brown Shoe Co. selling Buster Brown Shoes with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.

On May 22, 1942 their son Bruce Howard Reed was born. In August of 1943 they bought their home in south Kansas City.

In the fall of 1940 they joined Country Club Christian Church and became very active with the 50/50 Class. Their daughter Ann entered Sunset Hill for kindergarten and Boone School at 6 years of age. Virginia was active with her daughter in the Brownies and Girl Scouts thru the 8th grade. She was president of the Boone School Association for two years. During that time Boone School added on an auditorium where Virginia put on a stage play called “Fun's-a-Jumpin”, a take off of New York's “Hells-a-poppin” and raised enough money to buy the curtain for the stage in the new auditorium.

Virginia became active in the Cub Scouting program and was asked to take to take the position of Head Den Mother for the pack. There were 22 dens with 144 cub scouts, one of the largest in Kansas City. She met each month with the Den Mothers and a different project for each of the three years. She made the feather head dress for the Akela. It was from his head to his feet, a copy of H. Roe Bartle's. She also made the Medicine Man's costume. She stayed in Cub Scouting for 10 years.

In 1956 Bruce entered Center High School and graduated from Kansas State in 1960. Ann entered Colorado State University at Fort Collins, Colorado in 1956. In 1960 Virginia went to work for the government at the Bannister plant for the Atomic Energy Commission. She was there for 8 years after which she went to work for Penn Valley Community College in the Registrar's Office. Another job she really loved. She retired in July of 1981 and her husband died in November 1981.

Now she had time to take on many volunteer projects. She entered Kaleidoscope, a children's program of Hallmark Cards, in 1982. In 1991 she took on the monthly food drive at Country Club Christian Church and was with it until her death. The food drive includes a large part of the Metropolitan area. She served on a food line at the Argentine Kitchen with her church once a month. She is a Stephen's Minister and visited many people in nursing home and hospitals. Because on her age she gave up personal visits and instead would send cards enclosed with a little cross she had made of plastic and laced with satin ribbon. She has made over 400 crosses. For two years she made crosses for the children who were in the Pastors Class and gave them out the night they made their confession. She had charge of the Sewing Group that made children's clothes, fitted sheets and bed pads for cancer patients. She made baby caps for Truman Medical Center and scarves for Cross-Lines. Virginia is an Elder at her church and attended the Friday prayer group and a Wednesday Bible Class. Virginia was very active in the William Woods University Alumnus Group and always sold the most tickets for the Symphony Designer Show House. The profits of which went to the scholarship fund .

Virginia is survived by daughter Ann Reed, son and daughter in law Bruce and Bobbi Reed, granddaughter and husband Nikki and Aaron Browning, great granddaughter India Browning, grandson Brad Reed, great grandson Shane Reed and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of her life and a reception after will be held Friday, March 15th, 11:00 a.m. at Country Club Christian Church, 61st & Ward Pkwy. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri 64113; William Woods University, 1 University Avenue, Fulton, Missouri 65251; or Cross-Lines Community Outreach, 736 Shawnee Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas 66105. Condolences may be offered at www.mtmoriah-freeman.com.