Reed was born in Florence, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA, on 21 August 1869, to parents Herman Reed and Mary Cobb Kingman (1834–1921).

Reed began her teaching career at the age of 16, and her first job was in a country schoolhouse in North Dakota (then Dakota Territory), at a time when teachers didn’t require a certificate. Her first pupils were 10 Norwegian children. In 1904, she moved to California, where she attended Los Angeles Normal School to continue her teaching career in the state. In California, she taught at Fullerton and Long Beach schools.

When she was about 88 years old, she moved into Villa Gardens Retirement Community in Pasadena. On her 100th birthday, when asked about her own secret to longevity, she replied, “Enjoy life.” At the age of 101, she traveled to Cummington, Hampshire County, her mother’s birthplace, where her mother’s ancestral home had been transformed into a small museum. At the age of 105, she was still keeping her mind sharp by staying updated on current events through newspapers and reading numerous novels.

Reed passed away in Pasadena, California, USA, on 23 August 1979, at the age of 110 years, 2 days.