Funeral services for Preston Reid, age 78, of Blanket, will be held at 2:00 PM, Sunday in the Blanket First Baptist Church with Jerry Payne officiating.  Burial will follow in the Blanket Cemetery under the direction of Heartland Funeral Home.  The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday evening from 6:00 until 7:30.

Preston passed from this life on Thursday, July 12, 2018 in Brownwood.

Preston Earl Reid was born December 16, 1939 on his grandparent’s ranch near Lawn.  He grew up in Vidor, Texas and attended school there.  Preston moved to Abilene in 1956.  He joined the US Army in 1958 and served three years, then returned to Abilene in 1960 where he met and married The Love of his Life, Emma Jo McLaughlin on his birthday, December 16, 1961, in Blanket.  Emma Jo took him and his daughter Donna as her own.  Emma Jo and Preston resided in Abilene until 1968 before moving to Blanket.

Preston went to work at 3M and retired in 1999 after 32 years of service.

Their son David was born to them in 1962 and they adopted four grandchildren in 1984, Tony, Leslie, Ray and Jennifer.

Preston served two terms on the Blanket city council and three terms on the Blanket school board, serving as president for six years.

He, along with his neighborhood friends, started the Blanket Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as their first Fire Chief.  Preston and Emma Jo both served on the board of directors for Hope for Tomorrow from 1993 until 2015.  Preston was chairman of that board for 22 years.  Preston had a great love for children.

He had been a member of Blanket First Baptist Church since 1968 and served as a deacon.  Preston had a great love for his church community.

Preston is survived by his wife of 56 years, Emma Jo Reid; three sons, David Reid and wife Beverly, Tony Reid and wife Tayla and Ray Reid and wife Tara; three daughters, Donna Ford, Leslee Reid and Jennifer Reid; a brother, Ronnie Reid and wife Carol, a sister, Linda Reagan; four grandchildren, Blake Reid and wife Robbyn, Kileigh, Kenadee and Landon and a great-granddaughter, Ava.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two granddaughters, Seriana and Dedra and a brother, Wilson Reid.

The family requests memorials be made to the Blanket First Baptist Church, PO Box 98, Blanket, Texas 76432.

Condolences, memories and tributes can be offered to the family online at heartlandfuneralhome.net