Dolores Arlene “Dee” Reid, 90, Admire, Kansas, lost her battle with COVID-19 and passed away Saturday, December 12, 2020, at Morris County Hospital, Council Grove. Dee was born October 5, 1930, Johnson County, Kansas, and grew up near the State Line and the Plaza. The daughter of David W. Smith and Mathilde Champ Hugues, she enjoyed telling stories of attending Shawnee Mission High School (when there was just one!) and editing the yearbook and newspaper.
After graduating in 1948, Dee attended Baker University, Baldwin City, and became a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. On a double date that year, she met her future husband, Donald K. Reid. And he wasn’t even her date! Don and Dee married in Kansas City, Missouri, June 16, 1950, and the city girl spent the rest of her life as a small town Kansan.
While Don pursued his career in education, they lived in Spring Hill, Lyndon, Wellsville and finally, Admire. In each community, Dee participated in various organizations; from card clubs to women’s groups. Moving to Admire in 1969, she continued her faithful Christian service at the Admire United Methodist Church, serving in a number of roles in the church, including lay delegate to the Annual Conference for many years. At the 2009 Kansas East Conference, she was awarded the Harry Denman Evangelism Award for exhibiting outstanding efforts in evangelism. She also led the admire PRIDE committee for many years, organizing town clean-up days, the Fall Festival and designing and distributing a welcome brochure for new residents. She took a keen interest in the community an lived in Admire for over fifty years. In 1973, Dee began working at Emporia State University, where she retired in the mid-1990s as the Office Manager of the Career Development and Placement Services.
Between her work with ESU and her church involvement, she knew people throughout Kansas. Don and Dee were ardent supporters of ESU athletics and Dee continued to have season tickets each year. They also enjoyed camping with the kids and traveling around the world, sometimes with grandkids or kids, but always together.
Don preceded her in death January 21, 1997. She also was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Dorothy L. Wheeler. She is survived by three children, Kathy (Chris) Rippel, Great Bend, KS; Mike Reid, Lawrence, KS; and Shannon (Polly) Reid-Wheat, Admire, KS; five grandchildren, Ben Mitchum, Hesston, KS; Jason (Toni) Mitchum, Lee’s Summit, MO; Kyle (Mike) Penland, Brentwood, CA; Megan Schulz, Topeka, KS; Angelica Howard, Douglass, KS; and five great-grandchildren, PFC Ethan Schulz, Fort Riley, KS; Austin Schulz, Topeka, KS; Blake Patterson, Lee’s Summit, MO; Gage Howard and Kaylynn Howard, both of Douglass, KS. Everyone will miss Dee and are proud of this smart lady with a fun sense of humor.
Due to the current health crisis, there will be no public service at this time. The immediate family will have a graveside service at the Lyndon Cemetery, led by Rev. Derrek Belase. The family hopes to have a Celebration of Life for Dee that will be announced at a later date. Sawyer Funeral Home, Council Grove, will be arranging the burial. Memorial contributions may be made to the Admire United Methodist Church, Council Grove Public Library, or Admire PRIDE, sent in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 273, Council Grove, KS 66846. The family requests that you honor Dee, and COVID-19 victims like her and wear a mask!