Funeral Service will be at 1pm Friday at Crestwood Chapel for Joseph Elias Read, age 95, Read's Mill, who died February 22, 2010. Pastor Rick Lewallyn will officiate. Burial will be in Crestwood Cemetery. Crestwood memorial Funeral Home will direct.
Joseph Elias Read was born November 2, 1914 to Joseph Hiram Read, Jr. and Minnie Harvey Read of Read's Mill. He is preceded in death by his wife of 70 years Mary Brown Read. He went to Duke School and worked in the Read's Mill Cotton Gin from the age of twelve years old. He and his family farmed the land known as the Read's Mill Community. The Read family settled in the area before the Creek Indian War. As a boy in the summers he took people for a fishing ride on the old mill pond for a small fee. During World War II Joe worked in Gadsden at the Steel Mill during the winter months when he could not farm. In 1946 he founded and co-owned the Read Lumber Company. Joe loved to fish and said that the Lord does not count the time fishing against you. He continued to garden and fish well into his late 80's. He was a member of Union Methodist Church, Wellington. He was a member of the Masons, Duke Lodge, for 66 years, as well as a member of the Shriners, Gadsden Lodge.
He is survived by three sons: Joseph T. Read and wife Linda, Roderick B. Read and wife Barbara, and Stephen H. Read and wife Patsy; 10 Grandchildren: Joseph Bryan Read, Laurel Caine, Jenny Zeller, Roderick Blake Read, Jonathan Read, Leslie Read, Nathan Read, Jaimie Kueny, Shea Shaneyfelt, and Alisha Owens; as well as 26 great grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Nathan Andrew Read, Roderick Blake Read, Jonathan Patrick Read, Don Kelley, Tim Shaneyfelt, Dave Kueny, and Craig Reynolds.
Special thanks to Dru Robertson for the loving care and dedication to the family and also to Amedysis Hospice. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday one hour prior to service.