Obituaries
The Bigfork Eagle runs obituaries and death notices for people who have lived in the Bigfork area. To submit, e-mail editor@bigforkeagle.com or call 837-5131. Deadlines are every Monday at noon.
Verdas H. Reed
Verdas Henry Reed, 96, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, at his home in Kalispell.
He was born in a log home 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 what was then Ricks College for one quarter but had to return to the farm to help his family.
Verdas always loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and served with all his heart in his work. He served his first full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 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 City LDS 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 another 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. The family moved there.
In 1971, he was offered employment with the LDS church in the Independence, Missouri, 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 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 daughters n 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 LDS Ward.
He was active even at age 96 cutting lawns and building things. His family says 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 is 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, Idaho, and Barbara Clarke and husband J. Richard of Salt Lake City, Utah; two brothers Clare Reed and Gale Reed and wife Delilah all of Ririe; 40 grandchildren, 116 great-grandchildren and 22 great great-grandchildren along with many other family and friends.
The family will greet people in Kalispell at an open house visitation Thursday, Jan. 21, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Chapel.
Funeral services for Verdas will be held Saturday, Jan. 23, at 11:00 a.m. at the LDS 4th Ward Church at 515 E. 16th St. in Burley, with burial to follow at the Pleasant View Cemetery.
The visitation in Burley will be one hour prior to service in the Relief Society Room at the church.
Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Verdas' family. Visit www.jgfuneralhome.com to view Verdas's guest book, offer condolences and share memories.