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- Death occurred either August or September 9, 1969. Send for deathcertificate to confirm. Places of Residence: Barclay, Harmony,Punsutawney (Bell Twp.), Pa. Newspaper clipping in the possession ofJean Reid Edwards. The name and date of the paper are cut off.RETIRED RR ENGINEER OBSERVES 93RD BIRTHDAY. A man who for 38 yearsmanned the throttles of the giant steel and steam behemoths ondistrict railroads, took 'a turn' on a diesel locomotive hereyesterday- at the age of 93! Robert Reed, of Greenwood Avenue,Punxsutawney, was given the opportunity to operate a modern dieselengine as part of a 'birthday present' from friends on the B & ORailroad. The retired engineer celebrated his 93rd birthday lastTuesday with a family gathering. Mr. Reid retired October 31,1941 and has been steadily drawing pension checks since that time. Heis believed to be the oldest living former railroad engineer of thedistrict. A native of Barclay, Bradford County, where he was bornAugust 15, 1874, he was the son of David and Ruth Simpson Reid and asa young man worked in the coal mines. He got his first railroadjob in 1903 with the former Rural Valley Railroad, a division of theold Buffalo, Rochester, and Pittsburgh system. He transferred to the BR & P in 1911 and worked for that system until it was taken over bythe Baltimore & Ohio in 1931. He worked another 10 years for the B & Obefore retirement. Practically all of his 38 years were spent behindthe throttle as an engineer. And driving a diesel for the first timethis week was no problem, his friends tell us. Mr. Reid wasmarried in 1898 to Burt Penman, daughter of John and Margaret Penman,of nearby Harmony (Punxsutawney R. D. 5). She died in 1943, two yearsafter her husband retired. Mr. Reid has since made his home with adaughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. James McGonagle. of GreenwoodAvenue. Mr. Reid is exceptionally active for his age, is an avidbaseball fan, and spends much time keeping up with events ontelevision. He has five daughters and a son, eight grandchildren andseven great-grandchildren. The children are: Mrs. Frank (Berdella)Kreagloh, of Collingswood, New Jersey; Mrs. Samuel (Margaret) Reid, ofDuBois; Mrs. Vay (Ruth) Neal of South Main St., Punxsutawney; Mrs.James (Dorothy) Mc Gonagle of Greenwood Avenue; Robert, Jr., of Fargo,North Dakota; and Mrs. John (Florence) Ashenfelter, of Clark Terrace,Punxsy. Caption under picture: OLD TIME STEAM ENGINEER ON DIESELRobert Reid, of Punxsutawney, a retired former steam locomotiveengineer, is shown as he listened to the station master giving ordersover the phone in a modern diesel locomotive here. Mr. Reid waspermitted to operate the diesel in the local Riker yards incelebration of his 93rd birthday which occurred Tuesday of this week.See Story below. (Spirit photo) OBITUARY: ROBERT REID Robert Reid, 94,a longtime resident of Punxsutawney and retired B & O Railroadengineer, died this morning in the Adrian hospital. He was bornAugust 15, 1874 in Barclay, Bradford County, the son of David and RuthSimpson Reid and in 1898 was married to Burt Penman. He was a memberof the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. Surviving are fivedaughters and a son, Mrs. Frank Kreagloh, of Collingswood, N. J.; Mrs.Samuel Reid of DuBois; Mrs. Vay Neal; Mrs. James McGonagle and Mrs.John Ashenfelter, of Punxsutawney, and Robert Reid, Jr., of Fargo, N.D. He leaves also seven grandchildren and 10 great- grandchildren.Friends will be received Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m and Mondayfrom 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral arrangements are in the charge ofthe Pifer Funeral Home in Punx'y. The Punxsutawney Spirit.
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1874 - 1969 (95 years)