Mary "Polly" was the daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann Burkhardt Grabeel, born in Lee County, Virginia. Her mother died when she was little, about in 1826 or1827. Her siblings were Elizabeth, George, Jacob, John Thomas, Susannah (married James Monroe Martin), Isaac, Andrew Jackson, Levisa Sophia (married Wm Hays).

Her father married a second time to Jane B. Morton and had the following children: Jesse L.A. Grabeel, Lucinda Jane, Josephus, Catherine, William, Nancy Ellen, Sarah Ann, Rachael Elender, Louisa D. and Martha Morton Grabeel.

Mary "Polly" married about 1841, at age 15, in Lee County, Virginia to George Washington Reed/Reid. He was a farmer; living with his parents and siblings next-door to the Grabeel family. Mary & George's children were Isaac, Mary, Margaret, Louisa "Jane", twins Thomas and William A. Reid, George Reed and Nancy Ellen Reed. [1855 Births: 16 April George W. Reed. Father: George Reid. Mother Mary Grabill. White, Born & Residence: Brush Creek].
Three of her 8 children died while young: son Thomas died at age 6 months;
son George W., born in 1855 in Pulaski, KY, and died at age 3 years on 16 April 1858 from Scarlet Fever, in Pulaski, KY ; and
son William A. Reed, born in 1853, and died in Pulaski, KY at age 5 in Feb 1858 from Scarlet Fever.

Mary "Polly" Grabeel Reed/Reid died in Pendleton County, Kentucky, in January 1860 (US Mortality Schedule). The last Census that the children were together was in 1860, Dist 1, Somerset, Pulaski County, KY, house #1991: Isaac, 17; Louisa, 15; Mary 13; those three were born in VA and the last 2 born in KY: Margaret 11, and Nancy (Ellen), 2.

Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of N.E. Arkansas, 1889, page 239: Mary's son Isaac Reed bio: the family moved to Pulaski Co., KY in 1849 where his mother died 10 years later.

Both Mary and George W. Reed are listed as "deceased with heirs" in the Virginia Memory chancery court document of Jacob Grabeel estate, Locality of Lee County, VA, Index #1883-038. However, another source has George Washington Reed died in May 1898.

After the 1860 Census, Mary's son Isaac Reed joined the military. Her daughter Louisa Jane married a farmer, Campbel/Camel Squire Griffin. [He was married first to Susannah Price and had 2 young sons, James H. and John Frances. Susannah died from a snake bite]. Campbell and Louisa, "Jane" or "Nancy", as she is sometimes found, had at least 2 sons, William G. and George, and 3 daughters, Alta Belle, Mary E., and Laura J. In the 1870 Census, Mary's daughter, Mary Reed, 21, was keeping house in the home of farmer James and Elizabeth Price. Information on Margaret and Nancy Ellen is not known at this time: 5/10/2016. Additional information is welcome.

A findagrave photographer said that members of this family might be buried with other family members at Woodstock Cemetery in (same county) Pulaski County, KY.