The Garden City Telegram
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Marshall P. "Jack" Reeve
Published 6/21/2008 in Obituaries
Marshall P. "Jack" Reeve
Marshall P. "Jack" Reeve, 87, died Thursday, June 19, 2008, at his home in Santa Fe, N.M., after a long illness.
He was born Aug. 28, 1920, in Garden City to Chester and Lois Reed Reeve. A fifth-generation cattleman, he spent his youth helping his father with their cattle and sheep ranch and learned the art of "trading" from the hours he spent with his grandfather Reed.
He attended Kansas State University and earned a doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 1943. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Reed volunteered with the U.S. Army. While on assignment in St. Louis, he met Dorothy Hahn, and they were married in June 1945. They had three children, Sandy, Lee and Laurie.
After completing his duties in Camp Kilmer, N.J., the couple moved to St. Charles, Mo., then returned to Garden City about a year later.
Mr. Reeve opened a veterinary practice in Garden City in 1948. He also was a cattle feeder after placing his first pen on feed in 1953. After retiring from his veterinary practice, He purchased Uncle Ob's ranch in 1960, and with it came the start of the current day Reeve Cattle Company, which has grown to a capacity of 35,000 head. He began installing center pivot irrigation systems in the sandhills in 1965, and they allowed corn and alfalfa to be grown on what was otherwise grassland. The crops allowed him to expand his cattle operation. His agricultural practices later led to the ground-breaking of a 750,000-gallon ethanol plant in 1980, which began producing alcohol in March of 1982. Since then, Reeve Agri-Energy has grown to its current capacity of 14 million gallons.
Mr. Reeve served on the Kansas State Board of Veterinary Examiners, and he was elected president of the Kansas Livestock Association in 1975 and elected to the Kansas Board of Regents in 1976. He also served on numerous other state and national boards.
In 1984, he married Agnesa Birney, and they continued to live in Garden City but maintained a home in Santa Fe. She survives. Together, they enjoyed traveling, cooking, writing, publishing cook books and entertaining friends and family.
Other survivors include his children, Sandy Carpenter of Wichita, Lee Reeve of Garden City and Laurie Bock of Garden City; step-children Kate Kelly, Russell Stamets and Mollie Krejci; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one nephew and one niece.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy, and a sister, Marelyn Reeve.
Funeral is at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Presbyterian Church in Garden City with the Rev. James O. Pitts III presiding. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery in Garden City.
Visitation hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Garnand Funeral Home in Garden City. Memorials are suggested to the Presbyterian Church or the Finney County Humane Society, both in care of Garnand Funeral Home of Garden City. Condolences may be e-mailed to garnandfh@sbcglobal.net.
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