Robert M. Neiman
Co-founder, Neiman-Reed Lumber City.
By JOAN NEIMAN.
February 13, 2006.

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    For many years, Santa Clarita Valley drivers passed a Neiman-Reed Lumber City sign on Valencia Boulevard and hopefully either stopped in to shop, or merely drove on, probably wondering who Neiman-Reed were.
    My father-in-law, Robert M. Neiman, belonged to the Neiman part, and his partner, Bob Reed, claimed the Reed part. Sadly, last week, Robert M. Neiman died, rather quickly from cancer, finally joining his partner and friend Bob Reed, who died in 1981.
    The partners met in the Marine Corps during World War ll, inside a tank defending our country. Robert Neiman was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism, a Bronze Star for both Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and another Bronze Star for Saipan-Tinian campaigns. After the war, Robert Neiman and Bob Reed founded the Neiman-Reed Lumber Company and the Neiman-Reed Lumber City stores.
    I can only imagine how many Santa Clarita Valley residents were employed by Lumber City, and how many home improvement projects were attempted and completed by a Lumber City product.
    The world was a better place because Robert Neiman was born, and sadly, even though he died at age 87, he died too soon.

    Joan Neiman is married to Robert's son, Phil. They live in Valencia.