Carmen Reahard Seward

Carmen Reahard Seward
June 9, 1930 – August 6, 2011

Born in Fort Myers on June 9, 1930, Carmen was the daughter of Everett M. and Mary Jane Sewell Reahard who settled In Bonita Springs in the middle 1920’s. The last of her pioneer family, Carmen was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Mary Louise Patton, brothers Thomas Sewell, Robert Ross, James Vance, and John Everett Reahard.
Carmen is survived by her sons, Michael John Ormston of Bonita Springs, Joseph Bailey (Diane) Ormston of Gold Bar, WA and daughter, Rachael Susan Reahard of Grand Bay, AL. Her five grandchildren are Kathryn (Rocky) Coffey of Lewisville, TX, Michael Sampley of Upland, CA, Marena (Joshua) Blankenship of Gold Bar, WA, Ethan and Aaron Ormston and Dustin Lockhart of Bonita Springs. She is also survived by her Sisters-in-Law, Mrs. Janet (Thomas) Reahard and Mrs. Jessie (Robert) Reahard of Bonita Springs, and Mrs. Myrna (James) Reahard of Grand Bay, AL.
“Aunt Sug” was loved by a vast community of nieces and nephews and a lifetime of accumulated friends.
After graduation from Fort Myers Senior High, Carmen left Bonita Springs along with her best friend Wanda “Punkie” Hogue. They took the train from Miami traveling north to join the Women’s Army Corps at Fort Lee, Virginia in 1948. She became a member of the 14 piece First WAC band and subsequently played with several other military units as a percussionist. It was there she met and married SSgt. Roger George Ormston of Grantsburg, WI. She returned to Bonita Springs to raise her family at the family home on the bay. In 1959 she was married to A.E. Seward of Three Rivers, MI.
Veteran, Musician, Mother, Grandmother, Waitress, Bartender, Bottle Hunter, Adventurer, Indian Artifact Finder and finally Commercial Fisherman, Carmen kept strong ties to her hometown and to the many friends and acquaintances she found there. Her last years were full of love and support of long-time friends Mrs. Wilma (Cecil) Harvard, Mr. and Mrs. John E. (Jean) Hogue, Mr. and Mrs. Joe (Marissa) Hogue, Mrs. Gerry (Rodney) Graber, Mrs. Beverly (Dick) Rice, Mrs. Debbie Martin, Mrs. Ann (Richard) Reahard, all of Bonita Springs and Mr. & Mrs. Larry (Anne) Kyle of Sanger, TX.
Carmen passed away on Saturday, August 6, 2011 following a long and adventure filled life. In lieu of condolences, donations may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society. Services will be private.

Carmen was the last surviving member of the Reahard pioneer family in Bonita Springs. Her parents, Everett M. and Mary Jane Sewell Reahard settled on the bay, first building oyster shell roads and then establishing a fishing business that continued for 80 years from the same location. Surviving the Great Depression through community cooperation, the fishing families including Hogues, Johnsons, Weeks, Reahards and others, were the economic backbone of the community of Bonita Springs. Everett Reahard and his fishing colleagues shipped salted fish from the railroad spur at Punta Rassa to the Fulton Fish Market in New York City.
On return from service in WWII, he was joined by his sons in the commercial fishing industry. The fishing industry continued to operate until the State of Florida Net Ban was intituted in 1995. Carmen was a vocal advocate of OFF, the Organized Fishermen of Florida, working to preserve the ability of commercial fishing to continue providing low-cost, high protein, quality local seafood. Following the Net Ban, Carmen was also active in the rough fish removal program in the St. John's Water Management District and the restoration of Lake Apopka. Shifting to the harvesting of Blue Crab she was frequently seen in her small, rough craft, pulling traps and marketing her catch locally.
The Reahard family donated the land on which the John E. Murphy American Legion Post 303, named in memory of the late husband of Mary Louise Reahard. John was killed in action in France during WWII. Mary Jane was a lifetime member of the Auxiliary and Carmen was a Past President. Several of her brothers served as Past Presidents as well.

 John Everett Reahard died of cancer in 1950 at the age of 21.

 Thomas S. Reahard was a well known businessman and became a founding member of the Board of Directors of the First Bank of Bonita Springs.

 Robert R. Reahard developed a successful fleet of shrimp boats, passing his legacy to his sons who are Ship Captains along the Gulf Coast.

 Mary Louise was an accomplished musician entertaining locally with the her husband Donald Dody Patton and the Don Patton Trio.

 James Vance Reahard was successful in his fishing business and was instrumental in the discovery and salvage of the Spanish shipwreck El Cazador, "the Shipwreck that Changed the World".

 Carmen was key in organizing the first Bonita Springs Marching Band comprised of local youth under the direction of Rodney Graber.

Contact: Rachael Reahard crimson@mediacombb.net
1260 Pine Street, Grand Bay, AL 36541