Born December 10, 1925 to William A and Bessie E Garretson, at her maternal grandparent’s home in Athol, Kansas (Smith County); Harriett, as she was called, was the 2nd of 12 children born to this union.
July 28, 2018 Harriett, age 92, joined her beloved husband of over 66 years,Vern Rounsley, in heaven.
She was baptized by her grandfather, the Rev. John Garretson, at the Athol Congregational Church. She attended kindergarten in Costa Mesa, California, first grade in Denver and graduated 8th grade from Jacksonburg Rural Grade School in Pleasant Township where her parents farmed. She then attended Athol Rural High School for three years, and then (her senior year), she transferred and graduated from Smith Center High School in 1944. After graduation she was employed as secretary to Gertrude Moeka, the Smith County Superintendent of Schools.
In January 1945, she moved to Denver, Colorado and worked in the office of the base Engineer on Buckley field until the end of WWII. Upon moving back to Kansas, Harriett attended summer school at Fort Hays State College in Hays, Kansas and then taught school at Ash Grove rural grade school (Smith County). On December 21, 1947, in the Reamsville Church of Smith County, Kansas, she married LeRoy Vern Rounsley in a double ceremony with her sister, Shirley Mae and Leslie Arthur Williss. To this union, two sons were born. On April 3, 1949 Nathan Vern was born and then on March 13, 1953, Allan LeRoy was born.
Harriett and Vern farmed north of Smith Center until they moved to Washington state in 1955. After leaving Kansas, they first settled on a farm in Washington state, but then Vern applied and was hired at Boeing and later Harriett (who still had her Civil Service Evaluation from Buckley Field) was hired as a Secretary at Boeing. Harriett worked at Boeing in engineering for over 30 years, first as a clerk/typist, and later ending with the classification of Air Force Contract Compliance Specialist. Upon retiring, she and Vern moved to a wooded acreage on the Skookumchuch River (near Centralia, Washington) where they enjoyed a more rural life with two of their granddaughters.
During Harriets 33 years working for Boeing Aircraft company, she was most proud of two things. First, that she was chosen to go to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Ca., and watch the first pictures taken from the Lunar Orbiter (laid out on the light table) and the second was her involvement in helping to design the wiring system for the first Boeing 747.
Genealogy and love of country were of great importance to Harriett. She joined the Tillicum Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) on her 45th birthday in 1970. She found it to be much more than a Social Club, enabling her to actively pursue her passion for historic preservation, education and patriotism, alongside the many lifelong friends she made as part of the organization. She served in many postions within the Tillicum, Mary Lacy, and Sacajawea Chapters of DAR.
Harriett was charismatic, loving and a joy to be around. She will be greatly missed by those who knew her.
Preceeding her in death was her husband, Vern of over 66 years, her parents (Bill and Bessie), her oldest sister, Betty (by 6 hours), sisters Shirley and Linda and brothers Fritz and Roger. She is survived by son, Nathan and wife, Rosalina (Ramirez); son Allan; sisters, Virginia McBath, Margaret Garretson, and Marcia (LeRoy) Heinrich, brothers Bill (Norma) Garretson, Stan (Ellen) Garretson and Brent Garretson, Jim Leising (brother-in-law), Carole Garretson (sister-in-law), Virginia Rounsley (sister-in-law) and Millie Rounsley (sister-in-law); Grandsons, Nathan Vern Rounsley Jr. (Angela) (Luccolini), and Christopher Lee Rounsley; granddaughters Rosa Maria Rounsley, Vanessa Maria Rounsley, and Elena Florence (Rounsley) Mathwich and husband Joshua Mathwich; step granddaughter Jennie (Rounsley) Shank; great-grandson, Ty Michael Rounsley; and great-granddaughters Thahlia Claudia and Diana Marie Gutierrez.