Almarie Olson Reed, 81, of Bay City, Texas, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, April 16, 2023.  She loved Jesus, loved her family, and loved life. She was known for her lighthearted jokes, magnificent hugs, and contagious laughter.

Almarie was born on January 24, 1942, in Bay City. She lived her early childhood years in Markham, then moved to Bay City, where she graduated from Bay City High School in 1960. She attended Victoria Beauty College and joined her mother at her mother's salon: Marie's Beauty Shop. Almarie met the love of her life, Joe, at a popular local drive-in. They married a year later in 1961.

Almarie was very family-oriented; her family was everything to her. She actualized the ideal of a mother and a wife "to impeccable standards," as her son Russell shared. She loved and supported her children with her whole heart, and also instilled in them a value for discipline and respect.

Almarie was always up for games and outdoor activities. She was an avid bowler. Her high game was 225, and she loved playing tournaments. She loved to swim, play 42, and play Yahtzee. She loved people. She loved talking. During her children's school years, she was a bank teller who loved being able to chat with customers at the bank.

Almarie and Joe both retired in 1997. They spent the following joyful years enjoying their children, grandchildren (to whom she was "Memaw"), and later great-grandchildren. They played golf, and Almarie had a really good golf swing! She went to the Holy Land, was baptized in the Jordan River, and even met the queen of Jordan.

Almarie was a devout Christian who hosted in-home Bible studies and attended First Baptist Church in Bay City. She had the strength and love to care for others. She was a caregiver for her mother, was a Pink Lady at Matagorda Regional Medical Center, and kept older friends who were in the nursing home company.

Almarie is survived by her beloved family: her loving husband of 61 years, Joe Vernon Reed; sons Russell Reed and Quentin Reed (& Louie Heras); grandchildren Natalie Wendele (& Neal Wendele), Dalaine Prince, Frieda Micheletti (& Gus Micheletti), Gatlin Reed (& Emily Reed), and Morgan Reed; eight great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Dorothy Walker and Mitzi Mahoney; nieces Tambra Anderson and Vicki Roe; and numerous other nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her daughter Ginger Younts; parents Alton Olson and Marie Callan Olson; sister Barbara Roe; brother Gary Olson; brothers-in-law Floyd Reed and Lloyd Reed; and sister-in-law Nita Davis.

The family will receive friends and relatives for visitation at 9:00 a.m. Friday, April 21, 2023, at First Baptist Church in Bay City. Funeral Services will begin at 10:00 a.m. with Dr. Mike Zimmerman officiating. Interment will follow at Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City. Pallbearers for Mrs. Reed will be Gus Micheletti, Neal Wendele, Gatlin Reed, Clyde Davis, Gary Davis, and Steve Davis.