Lifestyles, Madison, News, RSS Twitter
Carpenter creates pens for soldiers, street festival
Reed and Trish Carpenter will sell his custom, wooden ink pens at Madison Street Festival. CONTRIBUTED
MADISON – Reed Carpenter, one of 56 arts-and-crafts vendors in Crafters’ Cove at Madison Street Festival, originally honed his skills for a patriotic cause.
His work with the Freedom Pen project grew beyond expectations. “This local group of woodworkers send handmade pens to soldiers stationed overseas,” Carpenter said. He refined his talent with woodworking classes at Redstone Arsenal.
Carpenter then started making pens for friends and family. “Before you know it, people are buying the pens from my shirt pocket, and a business blossomed.”
He and wife Trish volunteer frequently. She assists Court Appointed Juvenile Advocate (CAJA) and a food pantry. “I got hooked on Pinewood Derby and helping parents and kids with their little wooden cars. I serve as Committee Chair for Troop 676,” Reed said.
He and Trish sing in choir at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Madison and for its “Celebrate America” concerts. Trish also serves as a lector at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.
“My wife and I met over music at church. They had hired me as pianist, and the service needed a song leader/cantor. Trish stepped up, and within a couple of years we were married,” Reed said.
“We love Madison’s small-town feel and proximity of work. People here demonstrate a true Christian concern,” Reed said. A native of Utah, Reed attended college in Montana, joined the U.S. Air Force and retired to Madison in 2010 with Redstone’s civilian workforce for Space and Missile Defense Command.
Two sons live in Seattle, Wash. Their daughter’s family lives in Germany. Another son’s family just moved to Taylorsville, Utah. Their youngest son lives in Utah.
Reed and Trish have eight grandchildren “Needless to say, we love Facetime, email and long-distance phone calls,” Reed said.
Their love of music crosses classical, church, gospel, jazz, pop and “some good ol’ rock ‘n roll.”
“We have searched in vain for a bad restaurant in Madison,” Reed said. “We prefer locally owned restaurants, like Libby’s Catfish, Madison House of Pizza, Cork N Crust and Casa Blanca.”
“We are uncommonly blessed to live and work here in Madison. We enjoy wonderful neighbors and opportunities we have here,” Carpenter said.
