Dr. Joseph "Joe" MacDonald Reeves, age 85, passed away Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at his home.

Raised as one of 11 children farming the hillsides of Walnut, N.C., Joe Reeves divided his boyhood between the potato patch and the baseball diamond, stealing minutes from both to read as much as he could, especially when mountain rains left the fields too wet to farm and second base too wet to field.

As a young man, having followed his brothers' path to the U.S. military (U.S. Air Force/Korea) and his own path back to Madison County, N.C., Joe traded the plow for the pulpit, answering a "call" that he insisted is more easily heard behind two mules in a stifling August cornfield. That call would lead him to Mars Hill College, the University of Tennessee and Duke Divinity School before yielding a 40-year career as a minister in the United Methodist Church's Western North Carolina conference. He earned his Doctor of Divinity from Drew University in 1982.

At Duke he met his wife of 54 years, Betty Proctor, who had arrived at Duke from a much less hilly landscape in Olanta, South Carolina. Devoted to his faith, his family and his congregations, Joe served pastorates in Brevard, Charlotte, Elkin, Shelby and Monroe, N.C. Throughout his ministry, he championed a personal relationship with Christ, an accessible faith and a Grace as freely offered as the showers that softened the hardened hillsides of his youth.

Joe was preceded in death by his mother and father, Charlotta ("Lottie") Barnett and Amos Stackhouse Reeves; brothers, Albert Reeves, Aubrey ("Doc") Reeves, Ken ("June") Reeves, Harold Reeves of Michigan, Bill Reeves of Candler, N.C., and James D. Reeves of Asheville, N.C.; and sisters, Leta Reeves Ledford and Evoline Reeves Baker of Michigan.

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth ("Betty") Proctor Reeves; sons, Stack Reeves of Walnut, N.C. and his wife Peggy of Asheville, N.C., and Shawn Reeves and wife Betsy Vos Reeves of Decatur, Ga.; five grandchildren, Chloe, Carter, Eavan, Stack and Connor; sisters, Ernestine Reeves Plemmons and husband Cloice and Dorothy Reeves Cody of Walnut, N.C.

Funeral service will be at 11:00AM, Saturday, May 23, 2015 at Central United Methodist Church-Shelby, NC with Military Honors. Dr. Joe Collins will officiate. The family will receive friends following the service in the fellowship hall. Burial will follow at Sunset Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to: Central United Methodist Church 200 E. Marion St. Shelby, NC 28150 or Christian Appalachian Project, PO Box 459 Hagerhill, KY 41222.

Cecil M Burton Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family of Mr. Reeves.

Guest Registry is available at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com