Carol Reid, a renaissance woman who passed away Sept. 28 at the age of 79, will be memorialized with a Celebration of Life gathering at the Eagles Club in Ontonagon Wednesday (Oct. 14) at 4 p.m.

A woman involved and influential in so many aspects of life in Ontonagon, Carol was born to Wilma and Lloyd Roehm in what was to be virtually her lifetime home on Feb. 4, 1936. Carol's family was a large one: brother Rodney (Wisconsin), brother Edward (Ohio), sister Connie Robertson (deceased), brother Cal (deceased), sister Jeanette Reetz (Ontonagon), brother Ken (Ontonagon) and brother Don (Wisconsin).

A 1955 graduate of Ontonagon High School, Carol married John Reid on Dec. 23 of that year in Ontonagon. The Reids had son Rick on April 26, 1957, in Great Falls, Mont., while John was serving in the Air Force. The couple lived in California for a few years, during which Carol worked in the advertising department for the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat and the Sacramento Union newspapers. The Reids returned to Ontonagon to stay in 1975, and that was when Carol's civic involvement reached new levels. She was at times president of the Ontonagon Theater, Ducks Unlimited and the Ontonagon Ladies Golf League. She was a member of the Eagles Auxiliary, Ontonagon Historical Society and, of course, the Ladies Golf League. She became intensely interested in photography and, naturally, turned that interest into a profession. She loved writing and she loved children and those loves became three children's books: Spookee, Wookee Halloween; Christmas Wrap Wrap; and Ricky the Picky Porcupine. With husband John and son Rick deeply involved in music, Carol went that direction as well. She wrote her own songs and occasionally performed with the family or other area groups, most notably Easy Money. There was not too much that Carol Reid did not do well and with enthusiasm.

She is survived by John, Rick and five of her seven siblings as well as granddaughter Briita and great-grandchildren Naomi and Aiden, who live in California.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent in her memory to the Ontonagon County Cancer Association at P.O. Box 282 in Ontonagon.