Mildred Flossie Harvey, 13 Aug 1923 - 25 Apr 2014

HARVEY, SHAY, LAREW, SARCONE, PRICE, RICHEY, HERMON, ANTHONY, MILLER, JOHNSTON, LOHR

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 5/12/2014 at 13:30:24

Mildred Harvey, 90

Funeral service for Mildred Harvey, 90, was held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 29, at Tonini Funeral Home, Des Moines. She died Friday, April 25, 2014.

Condolences may be sent in care of Bruce Harvey, 5615 Schweiker Dr., Pleasant Hill, Iowa 50321.

Mildred Harvey was born Aug. 13, 1923, in Bridgeport, Neb., the daughter of Grace (Larew) and Thomas William Everett Shay. Her siblings are Isabel, Beatrice, Edwin, Jean and Jane. She was raised in Harvey, Iowa, and graduated from Harvey High School. She received a cosmetology degree and license from the Ottumwa Beauty School.

On March 23, 1946, after Bob Harvey returned from WWII, he and Mildred were married in Hiawatha, Kan. The couple had five children, Bruce Scott, John Emmett, Stephanie Gay, and infant twins Celia Suzanne and Cecilia Suzette.

The couple lived in several communities during their 51 years of marriage, including Pella, Deep River-Millersburg (where he served as superindent of schools at Deep River-Millersburg Schools), Knoxville, North English, Pleasantville, Ft. Worth, Texas; Lake Zurick and Pallatine, Ill. In each community they developed lifetime friendships.

She worked in beauty shops in Knoxville and Texas, in addition to owning and operating a shop in Pleasantville. Bob did not particularly like to go to restaurants; perhaps for two reasons: Mildred was a wonderful cook and his last job took him out on the road so often, he was ready for some good old home cooking. From the large gardens she enjoyed planting and caring for, she also enjoyed preserving the abundance of produce that came from them. The numerous meals she made and served consisted of the produce and possibly some of the fish that she and Bob loved to catch.

They also enjoyed remodeling homes, teaching all of their children the basics of woodworking and painting. One of the most talked about family activities were the get-togethers with “Bob’s Army Buddies.” The buddies and their families gathered at one of their homes and hashed over the good and bad times from the war.

As a result of these reunions, those children from Arizona, Missouri and Michigan became good friends with one another. After his retirement they did a lot of traveling in the South and became involved in activities in the RV parks. They especially enjoyed the Marion County Potlucks.

She was a lifetime member of the Methodist Church and said she never used a swear word in her life. Some of the things that were special about this lady were her cheerfulness, contagious smile and personality. A daughter-in-law said, “Being around her was like a breath of fresh air! She was always a positive person and always made me feel good when I was around her.”

After Bob’s death, Mildred moved to Des Moines to be closer to her children and grandchildren. She loved them all dearly and enjoyed attending their activities. She loved all sports, but was especially fond of baseball since her husband played on several teams, including a professional team for one year. In her later years, Bob’s sister, Ginny Richey, whom she loved as her own sister, was a traveling companion, and helpful aid to her.

Harvey is survived by her sons, Bruce (Suzanne), Pleasant Hill, and John, Pleasantville; daughter, Stephanie (Steve) Sarcone, Des Moines; her sister, Isabel (Dave) Price, Surprise, Ariz. and sister-in-law, Virginia Richey, of Pine Island, Fla.; 12 grandchildren, Timothy (Jami), Pleasant Hill; Matthew (Kelly), Glen Carbon, Ill.; Ginger (Marc) Hermon, Carlisle; Joshua (Jayme), Lincoln, Neb.; Jacob (Savannah Anthony), Pleasantville; Jaren and Jordan, Davie, Fla.; Christine, Anna, Lucia, Stephen, and Jessica Sarcone, Des Moines; 13 great-grandchildren, Grace, Emily, Taylor, Joseph, Blake, Alexandria and Colton Harvey, Nicholas, Madison, O’Shea, Gabriel Hermon, Isaac Harvey and Harlee Anthony.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Lee Harvey: their infant twin daughters, Cecilia and Celia; brother Edwin (killed in World War II); sisters and their spouses, Bea (Raymond) Miller, Jean (Martin) Johnston, Jane (Richard) Lohr; her brother-in-law and spouse, Lyle Harvey (Marge), and Bob’s brother-in law, Jimmy Richey.

The Williamsburg Journal Tribune, 08 May 2014
Tonini Funeral Home, Des Moines.