HENRIETTE “HARRIET” CONNON OF VULCAN, FORMERLY OF CHAMPION PASSED AWAY MAY 17, 2001 AT THE VULCAN EXTENDICARE AT THE AGE OF 81 YEARS.
HARRIET WAS BORN MAY 10, 1920 AT HENGELO, HOLLAND TO CORNELIS AND ANS DEKKER. AS A YOUNG GIRL SHE ENJOYED MANY OUTINGS WITH HER FAMILY, TOURING THE COUNTRY ON BICYCLE. EVEN AT AN EARLY AGE SHE LOVED TO READ AND KNIT. SHE OVERCAME SHYNESS TO FOLLOW IN HER FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS TO BECOME A TEACHER. WORLD WAR II ARRIVED ON HER TWENTIETH BIRTHDAY AND DESPITE HAVING MINIMAL FOOD, SHE CONTINUED TEACHING HANDICAPPED CHILDREN IN HILVERSUM. SHE MET HER FUTURE HUSBAND, THOMAS CONNON AND AFTER THE LIBERATION OF HOLLAND THEY WERE MARRIED ON DECEMBER 22, 1945 AT HILVERSUM. SHE SAILED TO HER NEW HOME AND COUNTRY, CANADA, ON OCTOBER 3, 1946 SETTLING IN BANFF, ALBERTA FOR THE NEXT EIGHTEEN YEARS. DURING THIS TIME HER FAMILY GREW TO INCLUDE DOREEN, ALBERT, GARY, KEN AND MARGARET. SHE LOVED THE MOUNTAINS BUT MISSED THE WONDERFUL SUNSETS OF THE PRAIRIES. IN 1964, WITH TOM’S HEALTH DETERIORATING, SHE BEGAN TEACHING AGAIN. SHE TAUGHT FOR THE COUNTY OF VULCAN, TEACHING IN BRANT, MILO AND MOSSLEIGH UNTIL 1985 . DURING THIS TIME SHE WORKED VERY HARD AND RECEIVED HER BACHELOR OF EDUCATION DEGREE. AT THE TIME OF HER RETIREMENT SHE WAS PRINCIPAL OF MOSSLEIGH SCHOOL. SHE PURCHASED HER OWN HOME IN CHAMPION IN 1984 WHERE SHE RESIDED UNTIL MOVING INTO PETER DAWSON LODGE IN MARCH OF 2000 AND IN JUNE TO VULCAN EXTENDICARE WHERE SHE HAS RESIDED SINCE.
HARRIET LOVED HER CHILDREN AND WATCHING THEM GROW INTO ADULTHOOD HER GREATEST JOY IN LIFE WERE WATCHING HER STUDENTS BLOSSOM. SHE ENJOYED TRAVELLING, ESPECIALLY TO VISIT FAMILY AND FRIENDS THROUGHOUT CANADA AND HOLLAND. HARRIET LOVED TALKING TO PEOPLE AND CULTIVATED FRIENDSHIPS THAT LASTED A LIFETIME. SHE ENJOYED KNITTING FOR HER GRANDCHILDREN, MAKING SEVERAL BABY CLOTHES AND BLANKETS.
HARRIET WAS A MEMBER OF THE CHAMPION LEGION LADIES AUXILIARY, COUNTY OF VULCAN SCHOOL BOARD, WHERE SHE SERVED AS A TRUSTEE, CHAMPION LIBRARY, PIONEER CLUB AND THE MERRY WIDOWS, WOMEN’S INSTITUTE AND THE LUTHERAN LADIES GUILD.
LOVING MOTHER OF A DAUGHTER MARGARET (LORN) McLEAN OF CHAMPION, THREE SONS ALBERT (RUBY), GARY (GLENNA) ALL OF CALGARY, KEN OF EDMONTON, A SON-IN-LAW JIM HANNA OF VULCAN, A BROTHER KEES (JETTY) DEKKER OF DE MEERN, HOLLAND, TWELVE GRANDCHILDREN LEEANN CONNON (JAMES SPARKS), KAREN (STEVE) GAMMEL, PAT (JO-ANNE) McLEAN, STUART “JOE” McLEAN AND KIM REED, CHRIS McLEAN ALL OF CHAMPION, LESLI HANNA, (KENT KEARNS), MICHAEL HANNA ALL OF OLDS, TINA (CRAIG) PIERRARD OF STRATHMORE, ESTHER CONNON, MADGE CONNON, LORETTA CONNON , DANA CONNON ALL OF CALGARY, FIVE GREAT GRANDCHILDREN RILEY, CAITLIN, BILLY, CHRISTIAN, DESTINY. SPECIAL FRIENDS MIKE JORDAN AND PAUL BRADLEY, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
HARRIET WAS PREDECEASED BY HER HUSBAND TOM IN 1969, A DAUGHTER DOREEN HANNA IN 1994, TWO SISTERS JOHANNA (ANS) VANDERVISCH IN 2000, MARIA (MIEP) ANDRINGA IN 2001, NUMEROUS BROTHERS-IN-LAW, SISTERS-IN-LAW AND HER PARENTS.
FUNERAL SERVICE WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2001 AT 1:30 P.M. AT BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH, VULCAN WITH PASTOR MICHAEL COLBECK OFFICIATING.
CASKET BEARERS PAUL MATLOCK, PAUL BRADLEY, JO-ANNE (WESTMORE) McLEAN, LEEANN CONNON AND CRAIG PIERRARD.
INTERMENT CHAMPION CEMETERY AT 4 P.M.
IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE TRIBUTES IN HARRIET’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO THE VULCAN AND DISTRICT AMBULANCE SERVICE BOX 299 VULCAN, TOL 2BO.
ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME. DIRECTORS. PHONE 485-2633. E-MAIL CONDOLENCES THROUGH www.vulcanfuneralhome.ca.