Elvira L. Reed Romine, 92, of  Rochester, was surrounded by her loving family when she passed away at 1:35 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018, at her son’s home. This is the home where she and her husband raised their family.

Elvira Louise King was born near Fulton in Fulton County on May 4, 1926. She was a treasured daughter of Fred and Elma Matilda Crum King. Growing up as one of the seven King children, she shared her childhood with five sisters and a brother.

On Sept. 20, 1947, in Rochester, she married the love of her life, Myron Reed. Together, they shared more than 38 years of life’s adventures. From their union came three wonderful children, Mike, Bob and Deb. The family tree continued to grow with the added blessings of two more generations.

On Nov. 24, 1995, she married Gerald M. Romine who survives.

Mrs. Romine was a member of the 1st Baptist Church for many years. As a young woman, she worked for Dr. Dean K. Stinson and at Blumenthal’s. Later she was employed in food service at Woodlawn Hospital and  served up great meals as head cook at Rochester Middle School.

She enjoyed  annual color trips in the autumn to Brown County and Rockville with her first husband. Back in the day she could be found on the farm during cold winter nights birthing the sows. She was a woman of many talents.  The family enjoyed fishing year-round and ice skating at Van Duyne’s gravel pit. On Saturday evenings, they took the kids to town for a tummy tickler.

She loved to play board and spirited card games. Her favorites were euchre and sequence, both of which she seldom lost. To keep herself sharp, she enjoyed solving word searches. Puzzles were a great winter and autumn activity that she dearly enjoyed with her family. A recent puzzle included 1,500 pieces with the subject of an underwater landscape. Sending birthday cards to all family and some close friends was a thoughtful remembrance.

Annually, she led the family with the planting, maintenance and harvest of two gardens. With the harvest, she could be spotted in her kitchen, canning and freezing the bountiful harvest for winters use.

She was the matriarch of the Reed family. She was proud  to oversee four generations. An amazing cook and baker, she shared her culinary talents with her family. Best known for her sugar cookies with seasonal accents, no holiday would pass without the moist, iced and decorated sugar cookies for all to enjoy. They were made with her recipe  that included lard and buttermilk.

Her family remembers the zucchini bread, cranberry salad, cakes and pies.  Beezy would handle the quality control and taste testing.  From each pie she removed a thin sliver to taste test.   She was also a fan of ice cream, a nightly ritual before bedtime.

Left to cherish Elvira’s memory are two sons: Michael Reed, of Argos and Robert (Ginger) Reed of Rochester; a daughter: Debra (Ron) Neag of Rochester; four grandchildren: Melissa (Wayne) Lance, Aimee (Luke) Hrabosky, Austin (Ashley) Gibbons and Ethan Reed; nine great-grandchildren: Jaden Lance, Kayleigh Lance, Addison Lance, Micah Lance, Gabe Hrabosky, Judah Hrabosky, Lilly Hrabosky, Madeline Kay Gibbons and Lillian Marie Gibbons; two sisters: Julia Faulkner of Bremen and Charlotte Massey, of Hot Springs, Ark.; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Preceding her in death are her parents, beloved husband, Myron, on March 9, 1986, daughter-in-law, Sharon Reed, brother Edward King and his wife Juanita King; three sisters: Ruby Dinwoodie, Hazel Kercher and Frances Miller.

A celebration of the life will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday,  Dec. 5, at the Good Family Funeral Home, 1200 West 18th Street Rochester. Friends may visit with the family from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4 and an hour prior to her services on Wednesday. Chaplain Teri White will officiate. Interment will follow in the Rochester IOOF Cemetery.  Memorials may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 135 Parkinson Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305-1425 or to Kindred Hospice 1476 West 18th Street, Rochester, IN  46975.