Born Nov. 15, 1935, in Seven Fountains, Va., she was a daughter of William Madison Coverstone and Nora Funk Coverstone. She worked at Sears, Roebuck and Co. and retired from the Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles in 1995.
She was a member of Thomas Road Baptist Church for more than 60 years and was active in its 50+ Senior Life program and the Tuesday morning Ladies Fellowship. She also was a longtime member of the Moss in the Forest chapter of the P. Buckley Moss Society.
In addition, Harriett was a voracious reader and word puzzle enthusiast, and took numerous business classes at Central Virginia Community College. She was well-known for her cooking and baking, and enjoyed sharing her signature dishes with family, friends and neighbors. She also gifted many people with a variety of ceramics she crafted. Over the years, she traveled extensively, visiting all 50 states and most of the Canadian provinces, along with Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Russia and the Holy Land.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 70 years, John Wiley; her daughter, Linda Collins (Glenn) of Lynchburg; her dear granddaughter, Kristin Collins Bentley (Cory) of Dublin, Va., and two precious great-grandchildren, Emersen and Lincoln, of Dublin; her son, John Wiley Jr. of Midlothian, Va.; her “adopted” daughter, Patricia “Pat” Fanelli of Oak Grove Village, Ill.; two sisters, Wanda Pettit of Fort Valley, Va., and Glenna Beitel, of St. David’s Church, Va., and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by two brothers, Nelson Coverstone and Reese Coverstone, and four sisters, Velma Hensley, Iris Munch, Rosie Shickle and Mildred Layton.
The funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at Whitten Timberlake Chapel, officiated by Pastor Jonathan Falwell. The family will receive friends an hour before. Burial will be at Fort Hill Memorial Park in Lynchburg.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Gideons International, P.O. Box 97251, Washington, D.C. 20090-7251, or The Salvation Army, 2215 Park Ave., Lynchburg, VA 24501-2730.
