Obituary: HARMON, RUTH

Ruth Rockwood Harmon1926 ~ 2013Ruth Rockwood Harmon, 87, passed away October 11, 2013. She was born in Salt Lake City to Samuel Erven and Veda Crouch Rockwood on March 21, 1926. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents and her son Craig who died of cancer at the tender age of three. Ruth is survived by her husband Frank Harmon and their 4 children; Brent (Karla) Harmon, Lori (Clyde) Thomas, Richard (Stacy) Harmon and Carol (Clay) Stevens; 24 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren (with two more on the way). Ruth attended public schools in SLC and graduated from the University of Utah in bacteriology. Her university schooling was interrupted by serving an LDS mission to the Eastern States. While on her mission she met Frank Harmon. Later after their missions they were married in the Salt Lake Temple, with David O. McKay conducting the marriage ceremony. She worked at the LDS Hospital blood bank lab for one year until she had her first baby.Her residence after marriage was in the Salt Lake 27th Ward where her parents lived until a home was built in Val Verda, Utah, where Frank was teaching school. After three years they moved to the east so Frank could teach and attend school. In New York City they immediately had a host of friends with whom they shared cars, baby sitting and trips to the beach. Ruth was very busy raising a young family, helping neighbors and serving in the church. They lived on 121st St. and Ruth could be seen weekly herding a group of primary children by bus or subway to the Manhattan Ward Chapel on west 81st St.Ruth and Frank left NYC the summer of 1963 to live in Provo, eventually building a home on Apple Ave. where they now live. While her children were young she served as PTA President. The family spent a year in Eugene, Oregon while Frank had a Sabbatical at the University of Oregon. She was an accomplished seamstress and while in Oregon became an expert seamstress using knit fabric. After returning to Provo she conducted stretch and sew classes for women who were interested. She was exceptionally skilled at making do out of next to nothing. She would use old cardboard to create boxes and sew bags to store and organize her extensive collection of teaching aids for her grandchildren and now her great-grandchildren. Ruth has served in Primary, Relief Society, and humanitarian service as well as serving as a missionary with her husband to the New York City South Mission. She also enjoyed Pro Libris book club, BYU Women and did Republican Party work. She worked many years at the local polling precinct. Her favorite subject was talking about her family. She teared regularly when she was around her beautiful great-grandchildren and now that there are 36 of them those tears came easily.Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, October 17, 2013 at the Oak Hills 1st Ward Chapel, 1038 North 1200 East, Provo, Utah. Friends may call at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center Street, Wednesday, October 16 from 6-8:00 p.m. and at the church Thursday from 9:30-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment, Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 East 1300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Condolences may be sent at www.bergmortuary.com.