The Reece Brothers
Pentecostal Holiness Ministers
Story furnished by Clarence Crocker
The Reverend William Troy Reece, a Glendale native, was the son of Jack and Maggie Burris Reece. Like his parents and most siblings, he began his work in the textile industry at Glendale Mills. He married a local lady, Miss. Pearl Westbrook. They became members of the Glendale Pentecostal Holiness Church from which “Troy” as he was known entered the ministry in 1932.
Excerpts from the Obituary of Mrs. W.T. Reece, published Tuesday, May 16, 1967; “Mrs. Pearl Westbrook Reece, 58, wife of Rev. W. T. Reece died Monday morning in the Anderson Hospital after a long illness. Native of Spartanburg County, she was the daughter of the late Thomas M. and Era Petty Westbrook and was a member of the Glendale Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Also surviving; three sons, including the Rev. Bobby L. Reece of Tryon;(no other names were listed) six grandchildren.
Services to be held Wednesday at the McDougal Funeral Home with interment following in the Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Spartanburg”.
Following the death of Mrs. Pearl Westbrook Reece, Rev. Troy Reece married Bessie Harrell.
Excerpts from the Obituary of Rev. William T. Reece published Monday, February 25, 1991;
“The Rev. William Troy Reece, 83, died February 23, 1991 in Halifax Hospital in Roanoke Rapids. A native of Spartanburg County, he was the husband of Bessie Harrell Reece and the son of the late Jack and Maggie Burris Reece.
Rev. Reece was transferred from the Upper South Carolina Pentecostal Holiness Conference to the North Carolina Pentecostal Holiness Conference in April, 1969. He pastored at; Weldon Pentecostal Holiness Church, Darlington Pentecostal Holiness Church, and the Alert Pentecostal Holiness Church after serving several churches in the S. C. Conference.
Survivors are; two sons, The Reverend Bobby Reece and Eugene Reece; a stepdaughter, Nan Carpentener; three stepsons, James Hale, Earl Hale and Collin Hale; five grandchildren, five great grandchildren, nine step grandchildren and four step great grandchildren.
Services to be held at the Thrinty Pentecostal Holiness Church in Halifax, N. C. with interment following in the Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Spartanburg, S. C. Writer’s note; As I remember “Troy” he was a low key, kind and soft speaking Preacher. He was very effective in his years of ministry. If memory serves me correctly, Rev. Troy served as Pastor of the Glendale Pentecostal Holiness Church for a while.
------------------The Reverend David Reece, a Glendale native, was also the son of Jack and Maggie Reece. He married Ruby Solesby, daughter of Jesssie F. and Nora Solesby also of Glendale, S.C. David was a former employee of Glendale Mills and a member of the Glendale Pentecostal Holiness Church from which he entered the Ministry in the late 1930s.
The 1940 Spartanburg/Glendale Census listed the household as;
David Reece 25, husband/weaver Wife; Ruby 22, spinner
Children; Donald 5 Janice 1
There were two more children added to the family after the 1940 census; Kenneth & Terry
Belonging to the Upper S.C. Pentecostal Holiness Conference, David, as he was known in his home town, served as Pastor of Churches in Abbeville, Waterloo, Irmo, Clinton, Greer, and Belton, South Carolina. David with a good deep clear voice was a forceful, fiery Preacher. While I’m sure Rev. David preached at his home church from time to time, I don’t recall him ever serving as Pastor.
For about 50 years, David had been faithful to his calling when death struck him in July 1983 while serving as Pastor of a church in Clinton, S. C. Ruby, who had been a faithful wife and helper all those years, had died just a few months before in January, 1983. No obituaries were found but both were buried in Abbeville, S. C.
My sincere appreciation to David’s daughter, Janice and her husband, for their assistance in gathering this information. The Reece and the Solesby families were considered dear friends of the Crocker family.
Obituaries and Federal Census records, courtesy of the Spartanburg County Library.
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.