James L. (Jim) and Edith Reed
Lea County Families, Then and There, Vol I, 1979
Submitted by: W.T.Reed
This story is being written because my parents, James L. (Jim) and Edith Reed were early day settlers in New Mexico. They came to Monument in 1904. I, W.T. Reed was born in Monument in 1906, in the J.D. Graham home. Mason Graham was born one day before myself in the same house. The attending physician in both cases was Dr. A.A. Dearduff.
My dad acquired the mail contract from Carlsad, Pearl, Monument and knowles: making the trip over one day and back the next. He changed teams twice on each trip. We later moved to Carlsbad where my sister Msry Ruth was born. At the end of the mail contract we moved four miles north of what is now known as he town of Lovington. Dad filed a claim on 160 acres, of which is part of the present Reed ranch. For a long period of time we went to Knowles to get our mail.
I will always remember the old rodeos and barbecues put on by Bert and Charlie Weir. They were always a show of outstanding rodeo talent.
My sister and I attended high school in Lovington and college at Montezuma Baptist College, Las Vegas, New Mexico and Texas Tech College, Lubbock, Texas.
My folks lived in Lovington until their deaths. Mother passed away in 1936, and Dad in 1958.