ExecuteReader requires an open and available Connection. The connection's current state is closed

My datagrid has a large number of dropdown lists that are displayed when the user chooses to edit a row.  Something about the procedure I've tried to add to generically populate each list is conflicting with the connection state.   I can't see what so would appreciate help.  Exceptoin thrown is below, as is the code of the procedure run on databind and the procedure that one calls for populating the dropdown lists.

Error occurs after the call loadDropDown(e, "pet_type", colPetType2, "ddPetType");
on the line:  SqlDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();

Just as a note, at one point I tried passing the open conn in to the loadDropDown call rather than opening and closing a connection in the sub-proc but that had the same problem.

System.InvalidOperationException was unhandled by user code
  Message="ExecuteReader requires an open and available Connection. The connection's current state is closed."
  Source="System.Data"
  StackTrace:
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.GetOpenConnection(String method)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.ValidateConnectionForExecute(String method, SqlCommand command)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ValidateCommand(String method, Boolean async)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method, DbAsyncResult result)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior behavior, String method)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader()
       at Webkinz.MasterItems.loadDropDown(DataGridItemEventArgs e, String queryfield, Int32 col_index, String ddl_name) in C:\All\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Webkinz\Webkinz\MasterItems.aspx.cs:line 240
       at Webkinz.MasterItems.gridItems_ItemDataBound(Object sender, DataGridItemEventArgs e) in C:\All\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Webkinz\Webkinz\MasterItems.aspx.cs:line 212
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGrid.OnItemDataBound(DataGridItemEventArgs e)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGrid.CreateItem(Int32 itemIndex, Int32 dataSourceIndex, ListItemType itemType, Boolean dataBind, Object dataItem, DataGridColumn[] columns, TableRowCollection rows, PagedDataSource pagedDataSource)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGrid.CreateControlHierarchy(Boolean useDataSource)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.BaseDataList.OnDataBinding(EventArgs e)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.BaseDataList.DataBind()
       at Webkinz.MasterItems.loadGrid() in C:\All\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Webkinz\Webkinz\MasterItems.aspx.cs:line 166
       at Webkinz.MasterItems.gridItems_Edit(Object source, DataGridCommandEventArgs e) in C:\All\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Webkinz\Webkinz\MasterItems.aspx.cs:line 264
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGrid.OnEditCommand(DataGridCommandEventArgs e)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGrid.OnBubbleEvent(Object source, EventArgs e)
       at System.Web.UI.Control.RaiseBubbleEvent(Object source, EventArgs args)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGridItem.OnBubbleEvent(Object source, EventArgs e)
       at System.Web.UI.Control.RaiseBubbleEvent(Object source, EventArgs args)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.OnCommand(CommandEventArgs e)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument)
       at System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument)
       at System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler sourceControl, String eventArgument)
       at System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData)
       at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)
  InnerException:

protected void gridItems_ItemDataBound(object sender, DataGridItemEventArgs e)
        {          
            if (e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.EditItem)
            {
                string curr_val = e.Item.Cells[colItemType2].Text;
                DropDownList ddl = null;
                ddl = (DropDownList)e.Item.FindControl("ddItemType");
 
                SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(c.getConnectionString());
                using (conn)
                {
                    conn.Open();
                    SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("webkinzGetCategories", conn);
                    cmd.Parameters.Clear();
                    cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
                    cmd.Parameters.Clear();
                    SqlDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
                    try
                    {
                        ddl.Items.Clear();
                        while (reader.Read())
                        {
                            ListItem li = new ListItem(reader["category"].ToString(),reader["category"].ToString());
                            if (curr_val == reader["category"].ToString())
                                li.Selected = true;
                            ddl.Items.Add(li);
                        }
                    }
                    finally
                    {
                        reader.Close();
                    }
                }
                conn.Close();
 
                loadDropDown(e, "pet_type", colPetType2, "ddPetType");
                loadDropDown(e,  "theme", colTheme2, "ddTheme");
                loadDropDown(e,  "item type", colItemClass2, "ddClassification");
                loadDropDown(e,  "Source", colSource2, "ddlSource");
                loadDropDown(e,  "Gift Occasion", colGift2, "ddGift");
                loadDropDown(e,  "GEV Category", colGEVCategory2, "ddGEVCategory");
                loadDropDown(e,  "GEV Rule", colGEVRule2, "ddGEVRule");                                
 
                TextBox txt = (TextBox)e.Item.FindControl("txtFileName");
                curr_val = e.Item.Cells[colImage2].Text;
                if (curr_val.Length < 5 || curr_val == "&nbsp;") return;
                txt.Text = curr_val;
 
            }
 
        }
        protected void loadDropDown( DataGridItemEventArgs e, string queryfield, int col_index,string ddl_name)
        {
 
            SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(c.getConnectionString());
            string curr_val = e.Item.Cells[col_index].Text;
            DropDownList ddl = (DropDownList)e.Item.FindControl(ddl_name);
            using (conn)
            {
                string queryString = "select [" + queryfield + "] from WebKinzMasterItems where [" + queryfield + "] is not null group by [" + queryfield + "] order by [" + queryfield + "]";
                SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(queryString, conn);
                cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;            
                cmd.Parameters.Clear();
                SqlDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
                try
                {
                    ddl.Items.Clear();
                    while (reader.Read())
                    {
                        ListItem li = new ListItem(reader[queryfield].ToString(), reader[queryfield].ToString());
                        if (curr_val == reader[queryfield].ToString())
                            li.Selected = true;
                        ddl.Items.Add(li);
                    }
                }
                finally
                {
                    reader.Close();
                }
            }
            conn.Close();     
        }

Select allOpen in new window