Reeder was born on a farm in
Charlotte, Michigan on July 29, 1914. He went on to attend
Oregon State University and met
Charlotte Olive Goodding, whom he married in 1941. Reeder joined the military upon the involvement of America in
World War II. He was stationed in a malaria unit in New Guinea. While on duty, he collected grasses for curation back in America. In 1968, Reeder and his wife left
Connecticut after his retirement from Yale. They continued their research at the Rocky Mountain Herbarium of the
University of Wyoming. The couple relocated to
Tucson, Arizona to research at the
University of Arizona Herbarium in 1983. After a severe car accident, the two decided to retire. ==Legacy==