Fran B. Reed

 

By Hilary Kraus 
Photography by Christian Lee

 

Like the life she’s led, there is nothing sugarcoated about Fran B. Reed. Ask her about her second husband and she openly discloses, “He beat me black and blue and purple all over.” When the subject turns to her suffering a stroke that kept her housebound and bedridden for five years, Fran explains, “A lot of the people said to my daughter, ‘Don’t waste your time with your mom. She’s going to die anyway.’”

And while many residents relocate to Hilton Head Island and other Beaufort County communities because of its beauty, mild weather and laid-back lifestyle, Fran’s reasons for moving here were none of the above.

“I got a disability check, and I wanted to see where I would be able to buy something,” she says. “I went on the Internet, and one of the few places that would take a low down payment were here and Anchorage, Alaska, which is too cold and too dark.”

So off she and her youngest daughter, Liz, went to begin a new life 15 years ago in a modest two-bedroom apartment that Fran bought, sight unseen, near the beach on Hilton Head. “While everybody else would have chosen something closer on the beach, I wanted to be closer to the mailboxes because I was still in a wheelchair and was interested in getting my own mail,” says Fran, who eventually became strong enough to walk again.

Because of her limited mobility at the time, Fran says she had to find something she could do from home to bring in income. This is where her advanced knowledge in immigration law, her fluency in Spanish and her commitment to the less privileged came into play. At the time, undocumented immigrants were able to get a driver’s license. Every morning, Fran says she attracted crowds outside her apartment of people who wanted their birth certificate translated. If they didn’t get it translated they couldn’t get their driver’s license, Fran explains.

“They might arrive in town at night and by the morning they were over here by me,” says Fran, who charged $20 per person. “Everybody on the island who was Latino knew me. If they wanted, I’d teach them about the written exam. That was really, really great,” she says. Fran also became a notary public, which authorized her to perform weddings. She held ceremonies on the beach and still does, but says she doesn’t get many requests these days.

Prior to settling here, Fran worked with immigrant families and migrant workers all over the world and is an authority on immigration and amnesty laws. She has an advanced degree in public health, and used her knowledge by working at health clinics near labor camps. Fran also is a member of Mensa International, the high IQ society. “She is an expert on immigration law. The law is very intricate, very specific and people get tons of information,” says Fran’s daughter, Liz, who lives in an apartment in the same complex. “She knows it inside and out.”

Those who regularly read the “Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette” may recognize Fran’s name as a frequent letters-to-the-editor writer. “I have many ideas and I want to reach more people. It’s a good platform to stand on,” Fran says. Fran also enters writing contests and has written books about immigrant families, often doing so through grant money. Her latest book is called “We Are Not the Enemy.”

An advocate of promoting domestic violence awareness, Fran brings her own experiences, having escaped an abusive marriage and fearing for her and her family’s lives. She says she lived on the run for four years from 1974-78, changing her name, moving from town to town with young Liz, along with two older children from a previous marriage. “I’d call my parents all the time from different states. At those times, there was no caller ID. They were getting tired of this kind of life and not seeing me,” Fran says.

Throughout the harrowing ordeal, Fran was always thinking outside the box, while scraping together enough money to get by. “One time we lived at a KOA campground. I put an ad in the paper that I do weight-loss counseling, she says. “Then I’d go to the pay phone on the campground and answer ‘Miss Reed’s office, may I take a message?’ Then I’d call myself to the phone and tell them I’d give them counseling.”

But despite a lifetime of many hurdles and hardships, Fran continues to find ways to keep on going. “She’s honest as the day is young. There’s a sweetness about her that is very nice. When you’re out in the real world, it’s nice to know there are people still like her,” Liz says.

Up Close:

Background: Born in Marion, Ky. Grew up in Austin, Texas.

Education: B.A. in Spanish, English and Education at the University of Texas and the University of Houston. Master's in Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico.

Family: Daughters Julie, who lives in San Antonio, Texas; Elizabeth (Liz), who lives on Hilton Head; and son Michael Charles, who lives in Thailand. Three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Something people don’t know about Fran: She worked as an actress and appeared on “General Hospital” for two weeks. She also had parts in the movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, TV show “Rescue 911” and the REM music video of “Everybody Hurts.”

Just for fun: I like to dance, any kind of dancing is my favorite thing to do. For exercise, I put on Elvis and dance around the room.

To reach Fran: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.