My Memory Lane: Brief History of Alice Julia Reed

3 Reed Sisters
Naomi Valentine, Alice Julia Reed, Annie Peterson

Alice Julia Reed

Alice was the PostMistress in Sanford for many years. The postoffice, at that time, was in the building located on main street just across the street to the north of the church. Her sister and family, Lizzie and Darrel Cornum, lived there and Alice shared their home. Alice was know as Allie to her family, she never married.

HISTORY: By Diane Coombs Taylor-A Niece
Alice "Allie" Julia Reed was born in Ephraim, Conejos County, Colorado, October 14, 1884. She was the fifth child and fourth daughter of James Warren Reed and Julia Frances Threadgill.

When she was eight years of age, her mother died. After her mother's death, the family remained a close and caring unit. They loved and helped one another.

Gradually, they grew to adulthood and each married except for Addie, who died in 1893--a year after her mother's death in 1892--and Allie, who never married. Allie was a wonderful Aunt. Although she was actually my mother's aunt, I called her "Aunt" or "Allie". She was my special Allie.

When I was growing up, my grandmother, Lizzie (whom I called "mom"), and her family lived with Allie in Allie's large beautiful home. The Sanford Post Office was located in the front part of her home, and she was the postmistress-the best on Sanford ever had or ever will have. She kept the post office clean and tidy. Sometimes, she would let us kids come into the post office, and she would show us the stamp pads and all the things that constitute a post office. We loved it, and I remember liking the of all the paper work.
Sometimes, even on Sundays and holidays, people would come to the house and request her to open the post office so they could get their mail. Allie was very patient and gentle with the public when they inconvenienced her this way--and she always gave them their mail.

When she retired from being the postmistress, she converted the waiting room into a nice little sitting room. This mad a pleasant and beautiful room for company and for her family.

Allie was ambitious, and it seemed that every morning, no matter what the weather was like, she was out bright and early with her wide brimmed hat and old shoes pulling and burning weeds. She kept her yard immaculate and encouraged other to pick up weeds when they saw them. She was proud of her yard and had every right to be. She had one special apple tree, which was the best apple tree in the world. utah did not have apples that compared to the apples on Allie's tree. We would sneak up to eat them before they were ripe; Allie would watch out the window and caution us not to eat them, because they might make us sick--they never did.

Her flowers were well taken care of and were the talk of the town. She had a large flower bed on the lot east of the garage. She had it well landscaped with walks, and an old row boat, nicely painted red, as a flower bed. Her flower bed was very organized, and she did not allow weeds.

On the yearly twenty-fourth of July celebration, we (and throngs of other) would congregate in front of the post office to watch the parade go by.

Allie use to love to go to Alamosa for a day of shopping. She didn't drive so had to rely on someone else to take her. I remember that she used to buy very special things in Alamosa, and I always wondered why the store in Sanford never had those special things to sell.

She kept the kids in line when they came to the house. She was protective of her nice furniture and wanted it taken care of. i can appreciate her concern now.

I loved Allie so much. We used to correspond after we moved to Utah. When I was in college, she would send me a little money occasionally to help with my tuition.

She was good with her genealogy, and when Glen and I were married, she gave us some name to take through the temple for sealings. i thought that was special--to actually do temple work for my own relatives.

Allie treasured and enjoyed her brothers and sisters and their families, and they all loved her.

Even though Allie never married, I know she is a special daughter of our Heavenly Father and that there is s special place in the Lord's plan for her.

Allie and Mom were leaders in their day and left many special teaching and examples for their family to follow. I will always cherish those years when I was in their presence.