Dana Lorraine Kelsey Reed

Dana Lorraine Kelsey passed away peacefully with her daughter Holly by her side (and daughter Marcia on speaker phone) on Thursday, December 22, 2022, at Luther Haven Nursing Home. She had recently celebrated her 96th birthday. Dana was born to parents Bert and Florence (George) Kelsey on December 11, 1926, in Muskegon, Mich. where she was also baptized. She was extremely ill as a child with St. Vitus Dance, Scarlet fever and measles. Doctors didn’t expect her to make it so her grandmother Adella was rushed to help take care of her in quarantine with her and her mother. While recovering and living in Michigan, as a child she loved spending time on her grandparent’s farm. She lived in Michigan, Iowa and then Minneapolis. She attended Minnesota School of Business, worked at Bridgeman’s, in the office at Young Quinlan’s Department store and several months in a defense plant during World War II making parts for the interior of the airplanes. She was working at Walgreens Soda fountain on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis when she was introduced to and later met the love of her life Robert (Bob) Reed waiting for a street car. World War II had started so they were married in Hugo, Okla. and honeymooned in Paris, Texas before Robert left for the war in 1945.
After the war they started their family and lived in the Kenwood neighborhood then moved to Colfax Avenue near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis where they had their first four children Robert Jr., Thomas, Marcia, and Jack. While in Minneapolis Dana provided childcare for another family, sold Yardley Plastics and volunteered regularly at her children’s school in Minneapolis.
Bob’s job with Phillips 66 moved them to Montevideo where they made their home on Benson Road and had two more children, Jon and Holly. Dana devoted her life to raising her children. They were members of First Congregational Church where she was part of the women’s fellowship group. While raising her children, she was successful in direct sales home parties with Home Interiors for five years and then Avon for five years. She was involved with the Eastern Star chapter, sang in Sweet Adelines and was the first chapter president. Dana and Bob loved traveling and attended 24 Sweet Adeline conventions and about 44 barbershop conventions over the years, planning family vacations around these events all over the country. Dana loved following the royal family in England and also had a strong appreciation of art, especially French impressionists. They were surprised by family and friends with a European trip on their 50th Anniversary. A dream trip for her! Bob and Dana were blessed with celebrating many more anniversaries together, about six months short of celebrating their 70th before Bob passed in 2014.
Dana also loved big band music, baking and cooking, decorating, painting, ceramics, reading, movies, going for boat rides, crafting, setting a pretty table for holidays and most of all spending time with her family. Her advice: “Keep healthy and try to live happily as long as you can. Enjoy every moment with your children and grandchildren as they grow up too fast.”
Dana is survived by her daughters: Holly (Mark) Kilibarda (Montevideo) and Marcia (Darrel) Starnes (Prior Lake); her sons: Jon (Cathy) Reed (Stacyville, Iowa), Jack (Gay) Reed (Bluffton, S.C.) and Thomas Reed (Jordan); 14 grandchildren: Adam, Derek, Madalyn, and Landon Kilibarda, Eric (Tracy) Johnson, Cody (Michelle) Reed, Katelyn Reed, Mike (Angie) Reed, Cara (Chris) Okupski, Mona Reed, Christopher (Joy) Reed, Antony (Carol Ann) Reed, Brittany Reed, Jason (Jen) Reed; great-grandchildren: Izabel, Slater, Zaiden, Willow, Aiden, Grace, Morgan, Taylor, Blake, Corwyn, Connor, Corbin, Breanna, Kaylee, Tyler, Cody, Riley; nieces Janet, Nancy, Patty, Linda and nephews Chuck and Paul David.
She is preceded in death by her husband Robert Sr. (Bob), oldest son Robert Jr., parents Bert and Florence, her mother- and father-in-law: Carl and Madeline Reed, brothers- and sisters-in-law: Carl and Bonnie Reed, Paul and Rhoda Reed, John Reed; also many other dear family and friends that she is now joyfully reunited with again.
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, January 13, 2023, at 12 p.m. at Hope Reformed Church in Montevideo. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the church, one hour prior to the service. Arrangements are with the Wing-Bain Funeral Home of Montevideo. For online guestbook, please visit www.wingbain.com.



