The Family and Descendants of Jack G. Reece
Story furnished by Clarence Crocker
Coming from North Carolina in the early 1900s, the Jack Reece family was a hardworking family, well liked and appreciated in the Glendale community. Jack and Maggie were frame hands in the mill and all of the children (except Williene) became employees of Glendale Mills as they came of age. They lived on Clifton Street in the Mill Village. Jack Reece was a veteran of the Spanish American War, Co. H 1st Regiment of the N. C. Infantry.
Jack and his family were among the charter members of the Glendale Pentecostal Church. Two of the sons, Troy and David, were ordained and became Pentecostal Holiness Ministers.
Census records were recorded as the Enumerator understood the registrant who oft times had little to no education which led to numerous errors in names, date and ages. Where errors occur, I apologize. To read grave markers click on Glendale Cemeteries.
The 1940 Spartanburg/Glendale Census listed the household as;
Jack G. Reece 60, husband/frame hand Wife; Maggie 58/frame hand
Children; Claude 20, weaver Edna, frame hand
Williene 5 Billy 15, grandson
Louise, Troy and David Reece had already married and moved out.
Excerpts from the Obituary of Jack G. Reece published Tuesday, January 16, 1962;
“Jack G. Reece, 83, of Glendale, died Monday night at the General Hospital. Survivors are; his wife, Mrs. Maggie Burris Reece; three sons, Edna Earl Reece, Rev. W. T. Reece, Rev. David L. Reece; two daughters, Mrs. Albert Walden and Mrs. Larry M. Harvey; sixteen grandchildren; one brother, Luther Reece; three sisters, Mrs. Georgia Messer, Mrs. Lizzie Burchfield and Mrs. Dave Moore.”
Services were held in the Glendale Pentecostal Holiness Church with interment following in the Glendale Community Cemetery.
Excerpts from the Obituary of Mrs. Maggie Reece published Thursday, September 13, 1962;
“Mrs. Maggie Burris Reece, widow of Jack G. Reece, died at the General hospital Wednesday night after a long illness. She was a long time resident of Glendale, S. C. Funeral services are to be held in the Glendale Pentecostal Holiness Church with interment following in the Glendale Community Cemetery.”
Survivors were same sons and daughters as survived her husband.
------------------Edna Earl Reece, son of Jack and Maggie Reece; ( Edna also had the nicknames of "Eddney" and "Smokey".)
Edna first married Sara Messer who was originally from Franklin, NC. Sara died in a car accident in Charlotte, NC.
They became the parents of one son, William “Billy” Reece.
(David Reece, the grandson of Edna and Sara Messer Reece, has also given us information regarding his family.)
Edna’s second marriage was to Alice Ruth Burnett from Union, S. C. Their home was on the Cliffdale road just off of the Lewis Chapel Road. They had no children.
Excerpts from the Obituary of Edna Earl Reece published Friday, April 11, 1975;
"Edna Earl Reece, 74, husband of Mrs. Alice Ruth Burnett Reece, died Thursday morning in the Columbia Veteran’s Hospital following a long illness. He was the son of Jack and Maggie Burris Reece. Other survivors were; son, Billy Reece of Arkwright; sisters, Mrs. Williene Harvey and Mrs. Louise Walden; brothers, Rev. W. T. Reece and Rev. David Reece; stepson, Jack C. Elrod; eight grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.
Funeral services to be held at M. W. Bobo Funeral Chapel with interment in the Glendale Community Cemetery”.
Alice Ruth Burnett Reece died at the age of 99 in March, 1999. Edna Earl Reece is buried in the Glendale Community Cemetery and his wife, Alice's name is also on his tombstone. However, she is not buried there, she is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Spartanburg.
-------------------Louise Reece Walden, daughter of Jack and Maggie Reece; Louise married Albert Walden. They lived on the Glendale/Bethesda Road. The 1940 Spartanburg/Glendale Census listed the household as;
Albert Walden 35, husband/cotton mill Wife; Louise 36, spinner
Children; Wilburn 15 Bobbie 7 Geraldine 5
Albert H. Walden died at the age of 56 in May, 1961 and was buried in the Glendale Community Cemetery.
Excerpts from the Obituary of Mrs. Annie Louise Walden published Wednesday, April 20, 1988.
“Annie Louise Reece Walden, 84, died yesterday in the Campheaven Nursing Home. A native of Glendale, she was the widow of Albert Henry Walden and the daughter of Jack and Maggie Burris Reece. She was a member of the Ella Crocker Memorial Pentecostal Holiness Church of Glendale and a former employee of Glendale Mills. Survivors include; two daughters, Bobbie Thompson and Geraldine Thompson; one son, Wilburn Reece; a brother, Rev. Troy Reece; eleven grand and eleven great grandchildren.
Graveside services in the Glendale Community Cemetery.”
--------------------Claude Reece, son of Jack and Maggie Reece; Claude married Vinnie Lyda. Their home was on the Glendale/Clifton Highway and they were members of the Glendale Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Excerpts from the Obituary of Claude Reece published Tuesday, May 15, 1956;
“Claude D. Reece, 35, of Glendale, died early Monday morning at the General Hospital. He was employed by Glendale Mills. Survivors were; his wife, Vinnie Lyda Reece; one son, Tony Reece; one daughter, Beckie Reece; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Reece; three brothers, Edna Reece, Rev. W. T. Reece and Rev. David Reece; two sisters, Mrs. Larry (Williene) Harvey and Mrs. A.H.(Louise) Walden.”
Funeral services were conducted at the Glendale Pentecostal Holiness Church with interment following in the Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.”
Vinnie Lyda Reece died at the age of 51 in October, 1973 and was buried in the Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.
--------------------Catherine Williene Reece Harvey, daughter of Jack and Maggie Reece;
Williene married Larry Morgan Harvey, a building contractor
Their home was in the Fernwood area of Spartanburg County.
Excerpts from the Obituary of Mrs. Larry Harvey Sr. published Sunday, November 2, 1975;
“Mrs. Catherine Williene Reece Harvey, 55, wife of Larry M. Harvey Sr., died Saturday at the S. C. Medical University Hospital, Charleston, S. C. Native of Spartanburg County, she was the daughter of the late Jack G. and Maggie Burris Reece and a member of the Glendale Baptist Church.
Also surviving were; sons, Richard M. and Larry M. Harvey Jr.; daughters, Mrs. Donna E. Brown and Mrs. Rhonda E. Pollard; sister, Mrs. Louise Walden; brothers, Rev. Troy W. Reece and Rev. David L Reece; five grandchildren.
Funeral services to be held at Floyds Greenlawn Chapel with interment following in the Greenlawn Memorial Gardens."
Larry Morgan Harvey Sr. had remarried and died at the age of 85 in July, 2005 and was buried in the Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.
-------------------All Census and Obituaries records, courtesy of the Spartanburg Country Library.
Researched and written August 2013
Clarence E. Crocker
This web site has been started as a public service to share the story of Glendale. See more information about Mary and her Glendale connection at Mary McKinney Teaster.