3/23/1926 – 8/26/2021
Arlene Mason Harmer passed into the Spirit World to be joyfully reunited with many extended family members, on Thursday August 26, 2021 from the effects of Covid, Pneumonia and having lived and worked hard for over 95 years.
Arlene is the youngest daughter of George Eli Mason and Elizabeth Blackhurst Mason, and was born March 23, 1926 in Salt Lake City. She attended East High School and University of Utah, and worked at Ft. Douglas during WW 2 for the U.S. Commander in charge of German POW’s being held there. She then worked for Fetzer & Fetzer Architects. For many years she edited her husbands’ papers while he worked on his Masters Thesis and PHD Dissertation at Ohio State University.
Married Earl W. Harmer Jr. May 4, 1946 in the Salt Lake Temple. Lived in Salt Lake City, then Columbus and Newark, Ohio 1956-62. Then returned to Salt Lake City where her husband Earl worked as a Professor of Secondary Education the remainder of his career. Arlene especially enjoyed the U of U Womens’ Club, Faculty Bowling Club, and volunteering as a lifelong Democrat during every election. She had a gift for cultivating beautiful roses. She played the piano well and had beautiful cursive handwriting. She really enjoyed playing Bridge with her sisters. She also liked to drop a nickel into a slot machine and yank on the handle.
Arlene used to say “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”. She also said “Don’t cry or I will give you something to cry about”! She was a stay-at-home Mom, and almost every breakfast and dinner was sitting down at the kitchen table, and ON TIME. There were many wonderful, problem-solving discussions after Sunday dinners while washing and drying dishes together.
She and her husband (and family members) built a great cabin in Brighton, very much a home-made product, real pine wood logs fresh from the forests East of Cedar City Utah, which they enjoyed for about 35 years. Arlene also enjoyed many extended Memorial Day weekends staying at Paul Hansens’ Cabin on Hebgan Lake near West Yellowstone.
Arlene was predeceased by her husband, Earl W. Harmer Jr., her parents, and sisters Ferol (Rytting), Elizabeth Betty (Wells), Lucile (Fetzer) and brother Bill Mason. She was also predeceased by her daughter Susan (Lunt), grandsons Sammy Hoeksel and Paul Hoeksel, and granddaughter Rosie Smith. Arlene is also predeceased by her son-in-law Karl Jepsen.
Arlene is survived by her son Scott Harmer (Patrice Stoler), and daughters Ann (Karl Jepsen) and Jennifer (Bill Hoeksel). Also survived by 16 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
