52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #15 Almira Reed, Daughter of Benjamin and Huldah

Almira Reed was the daughter of Benjamin Reed and Huldah Pratt, my fourth great-grandparents. Only three records have been found for her so far: her cemetery stone, a death record from the Putney, Vermont, town clerk’s office, and a brief entry in John Ludovicus Reed’s The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts from 1635 to 1902.

According to The Reed Genealogy, Almira was born on either 9 or 18 September 1801. That information reportedly came from family Bible information sent to John Ludovicus Reed by Mary E. Reed Roane, daughter of Luther Reed, Almira's brother. Almira died in Putney, Vermont, on 28 July 1835. If the 1801 birth year is correct, she would have been 33 years old at the time of her death. Her cemetery stone, however, gives her age as 32, suggesting a possible birth year of 1802.

Almira’s death came soon after the death of her father, Benjamin Reed, who died in January of 1835. Although Almira left few records of her own, one family memory places relatives nearby at the time of her death. Louisa Hill Evans, a cousin, remembered being at the Reed home when Almira died, suggesting that Almira was surrounded by family at the time of her passing. Almira was buried in East Putney Cemetery, along with her parents. Almira’s grave marker closes with these words:

"And her Redeemer lives

And ever from the skies 

Looks down & watches all her dust 

Till he shall bid it rise."

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Diana

© 2026

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27499359/almira-read: accessed 4 July 2022), memorial page for Almira Read, Find a Grave Memorial ID 27499357, citing East Putney Cemetery, East Putney, Windham County, Vermont; memorial maintained by Cynthia Kaley, contributor 51056978; gravestone photograph by Donna G. Dunham, contributor 46871624.

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1635–1902, vol. 1 (1901); digital image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/reedgenealogydes01reed/page/n11/mode/2up : accessed 18 April 2026).

Putney, Vermont, death record for Almira Reed, died 28 July 1835; “Montpelier, Washington, Vermont, United States records,” digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-YZ9R-B?view=index : accessed 24 May 2026), image 1995 of 4071; citing Vermont Secretary of State, Montpelier.