REED SIDNEY HANSEN

Unchel Reed

 Written by Terry Conner

    What a wonderful man he was!  So full of love and laughter.  I can’t remember a time when there wasn’t a smile on his face or a twinkle in his eye.  He loved to joke and tease.  I remember being quite small when he would chase this giggling little girl round and round the house holding his false teeth in his hand and pretending to bite me.

    Uncle Reed joined the Navy CB’s in 1943 and went to boot camp in Biloxi, Miss. He loved to tell about the signs there.  “Dogs and Sailors stay off the grass.”  He went overseas to fight in WWII to New Guinea.  He had a 10-day leave before he had to go and was enjoying himself with his family during that time.  One afternoon he was playing cards with Grandpa Adams and little Bobby kept snapping his grandpa’s garters.  Reed told him several times to stop and when he didn’t finally gave him a little smack.  Bobby piped up “why don’t you go back to Mississippi?”

   When Uncle Reed came back from the war, he told a lot of fun and crazy stories about different things he did, but never did speak of his war experiences.  Although he was an expert marksman, no guns were ever permitted in his home.

     It was during the Seattle world’s fair that my brother Pat was living there with the Hansen family.  It was at this time that uncle Reed became unchel Reed.  It just kinda stuck!  It seems one evening “the boys” (Pat and Bob) went to the space needle.  This was quite a major event back then.  They decided to share this experience with uncle Reed and called him rather late at night.  Well, it seems uncle raced for the phone and tripped and fell.  After rearranging the phone, he answered “hello” angrily.  “Guess where I am?” he heard.  “Are you in jail?” he grumbled.  Came back the smart aleck reply, “No, are you in jail…we’re at the space needle”.  As he slammed down the phone, he yelled, “I don’t care if you’re on the moon!”

   Uncle Reed really hated his middle name, Sidney.  Being his father’s son…Bob likes to tease too.  When his beautiful baby boy, Mark Andrew, was born, he called his dad right away.  In an excited voice he announced, “Sidney Pitheous has just arrived!” Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall then!

    Uncle Reed never had a hang up with male/female roles.  He helped Aunt Dody whenever he could.  Washing, ironing…you name it.  I remember how jealous my mom was!  From the time I was about 7 until he died, we corresponded.  He was, by far, the best pen pal in the world.  This wonderful man left our planet way to early.  I am a very lucky person to have known him and loved him.