Chamber Notes Archives

August 2008

The indomitable spirit of “Miss Morrisons Cove”

The voice on the telephone was barely audible.

“Joe, this is Carolyn Reed. I just wanted to call and see if there is anything you needed me to do. I’m not really able to leave the house except to go to the doctors. But I can make phone calls for the Ambassadors or sell tickets if you need me to. I just want to help.”

Helping others has been Carolyn Reed’s primary motivation from the time she was a little girl working in her father’s garage in Claysburg. She’s carried that spirit of willingness to countless causes and assisted the efforts of more organizations during her 72-years than anyone else I know.

Fortunately, The Chamber has been one of Carolyn’s highest priorities. She’s served on the Transportation Committee, worked extensively on the Home & Garden Show and has been a fixture in the planning and fundraising of all events related to the Chamber’s promotion of local agriculture.

To put that last commitment into its proper perspective, know this: In 2003, Carolyn was hospitalized for several weeks prior to the Annual Farm-City Dinner and was unable to sell tickets or help promote the event. The attendance at the dinner was off by more than a hundred. No one had to ask why.

“Once Carolyn buys into something or someone, there’s no limit to how hard she would work on their behalf,” acknowledged Dr. Lanny Ross, Executive Director of the Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center and a longtime neighbor of Carolyn’s in North Woodbury Township.

Dr. Ross remembers Carolyn as a highly motivated young woman in the late 1950’s and the impact that she made even then.

“She was gorgeous,” he pointed out. “She was chosen Miss Morrisons Cove and she was as determined as anyone around to help anyone who needed help. Her emphasis was always on taking the positive approach to getting things done. And she’s stuck by that her entire life.”

Carolyn’s greatest adversary has been her health. She contracted a rare tropical fungus disease more than 30-years ago and since then she has had two lung operations, kidney failure and several heart-related issues.

“I only have one lung now and thank God it’s good, even if it did collapse during my last operation,” she disclosed. “It’s frustrating at times because I’m on oxygen 24-7 and that limits my ability to do as much as I’d like to. I guess you could say I’m still kickin’. But not real high.”

While Carolyn’s outlook remains remarkable with all the physical setbacks she’s endured, her greatest episodes of sadness come when she speaks of the untimely death of her husband Jack who, like her, had a reputation for unbridled benevolence.

“He died of bone cancer is January of 2007,” she stated, her voice quivering. “We were married for 37-years and I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d lose him. He was a wonderful person. I don’t think I ever saw him turn anyone down who asked him for anything.”

So with all the energy she can muster, Carolyn continues to make telephone calls on a daily basis mostly for her pet projects – the Homewood Auxiliary, the United Church of Christ and perhaps the affiliation for which she is best known; the Morrisons Cove Republican Club. Politics remain a passion for her.

“It sort of grows on you,” she admitted. “I’ve learned a lot through the years. How to talk to people. How to run a campaign. And I’ve loved every minute of it.”

So the telephone is never far from her reach.

“I’d hate to think of Carolyn without a telephone,” Dr. Ross concluded. “It’s been her lifeline in so many ways.”

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