Mildred Harshaw

Mildred Harshaw, 99, died peacefully in her sleep early the morning of March 26, 2019. At the time of her death, she had been living at Redwood Terrace Assisted Living in Grants Pass, Oregon for a short time.  During the previous 20 years she had lived at Rogue Valley Retirement Home in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Mildred's birthplace was rural Labette County, Kansas, where she was born September 4, 1919, to parents, Will and Hope Hunter. There she attended a country one-room school and Altamont High School, graduating in 1937.  She then attended Parsons Junior College until 1939.  After her graduation, she taught in two Kansas country schools.  In 1941, she married a high school classmate, Glenn Harshaw of Oswego, Kansas. Glenn served his country in the US Army for over four years during WWII.  During that time, Mildred traveled with him to postings in Arkansas and California, returning to Kansas for the birth of their first child in 1943. When he was posted to New Guinea and the Philippines, she stayed at the Hunter family farm in Labette, Kansas, until Glenn returned in 1945.

Post WWII, the family of three moved to Southern California where Glenn completed his education at USC. A second daughter, Joy, was born in 1946.  Mildred taught school in Azusa and Tustin, California while studying part time to complete her BS in education at Long Beach State College (1960).

The family lived in Temple City, Arcadia, and Tustin, California, and for a short period during 1956, in Bellevue, Washington. Her third daughter, Gayle, was born in Tustin in 1962.  During the years of the 1970's she and Glenn owned and operated El Toro Mission Viejo Dry Cleaners.  In 1981, Mildred and Glenn moved to Lindsay, California, where they began their retirement owning and operating a fruit farm.  Their final retirement in 1991, the same year as their 50 ^th wedding anniversary, was in Grants Pass, Oregon.  After Glenn's death in 1998, Mildred lived at Rogue Valley Retirement home for over 20 years before moving only recently to assisted living.

Mildred never lost her drive to be productive and useful. At Rogue Valley Retirement Home she decorated for every season and holiday with her handmade creations.  She donated over 800 of her handmade quilts for hospitalized children through Project Linus and Love Ewes over the past 20 years.  In addition, she created a special quilt for each of her daughters, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  She remembered each and every one of her family and friends with a special birthday card every year.

Mildred is survived by her daughters, Phyllis (Michael) Wells and Gayle Barnes, nine grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren, seven nieces, and five nephews and their families. Family members are living in Oregon, California, Montana, Massachusetts, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and New Zealand.

Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, Will and Hope (Campbell) Hunter; husband, Glenn; daughter, Joy; brothers, Paul Hunter and Harlan Hunter; sister, Phoebe Johnson; nephew, Bill Hunter; and niece, Eileen Leap.

A remembrance in Mildred's honor will be held in Grants Pass, Oregon at Bethany Presbyterian Church on April 14. The family will gather at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Altamont at a later date for her final farewell.  Private committal services will be held under the direction of the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Altamont.

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.