Harriet Smith Fowler

A long time ago a baby girl was born to Grace and William Smith, Presbyterian missionaries, in Dumaguete, the Philippines. I was named Harriet but known as Weeit to my siblings, Blanche, George and Berta. Living on the campus of Silliman University among a large group of missionary families, we had the advantage of many aunts and uncles by adoption. What we lacked in material possessions we made up for in learning experience, travel, and parents who encouraged us to be independent individuals. School years were spent on campus at Carter School. Summers were glorious, carefree days, spent following Dad in his work in the Provinces, living among the people, riding horses, and cooling off in water holes, always depending on one another for fun and games. In 1934 when it became time for us to complete our education in the United States, our family was together in Wooster, Ohio, where I was a junior in high school. My senior year they left Blanche and me and returned to the Philippine Islands. I finished high school and had two years of college. When Mother returned for an extended furlough, I transferred to Wheelock College in Boston. Mom and Dad went back to the Philippine Islands, leaving all four of their children in the States in September, 1941. I transferred to Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. During my studies, I met Roy Fowler and we were married in 1942. Because we were separated from our parents when they were prisoners of war at Santo Tomas during WWII, Roy promised that we would move from Tennessee after the war, to be near my parents. Grace and William chose to settle in the Hillsboro, Oregon area and we followed. We raised a family of four children in eastern Washington and Beaverton, Oregon. I taught kindergarten, and was very involved in the work of Old Scotch Church in Hillsboro where my father served as minister. Roy and I retired (Ha!) in Seaside in 1982.

That was an adventurous beginning to Harriet’s long life! After Roy passed away in 1993, Harriet moved to Friendsview Retirement Community with her sister, Blanche. Her love of family and friends dominated all her retirement days, interspersed with her interests in history and travel and line dancing, church work at Newberg Presbyterian, care team, painting, sing-along and gardening. Harriet definitely had a zest for life and her thirst for knowledge was insatiable… ask her study partner/friend, Chuck Zickefoose! Harriet had that special gift of making everyone feel that they were the most important person in her life…ask grand niece Shauna Carter: “We laughed so hard we cried today! She amazes us with her humor, sweetness and kindness; stories of her past and the love she gives us has our hearts filled. Oh, Harriet, we adore you!”

She is survived by daughters Vaughn Dee Wells (Darrel), Jeanne Sigurdson (Roy), and Joy Haack (Dave), 12 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild. She is predeceased by her son Steve Fowler and husband Roy Fowler.

Harriet passed away at Friendsview on June 14, 2023, loved immensely by family, friends and staff who tended to her so faithfully. A Memorial Service, celebrating the life of Harriet, will be held later in the summer. Charitable donations may be made to Tualatin Plains Presbyterian Church (Old Scotch Church).