Mrs. Colleen M. Harmon

A memorial service will be held at 1pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012 in Westgate Bible Church 12930 SW Scholls Ferry Rd. Tigard, OR 97223 for Collen M. Harmon who passed away on November 12, 2012 in Portland, Oregon at age 78. Colleen Mae Prentice was the very first baby born in Clarkston, WA on January 1, 1934 to Sidney and Hazel (Jolly) Prentice. Colleen was the middle child of three girls, between older sister Norma and younger sister Pat. The family moved to North Portland when Colleen was very young; the original family home was on Minnesota Street, which is now the I-5 freeway west embankment.

She attended Jefferson High School and graduated in 1951. A few years later she married James Turner with whom she had two children, Lawrence and Michel. Colleen was a devoted mother balancing a career working in the office of an audiologist and later for Perfect Fit and raising her two sons. In August of 1965 she married Lee Harmon and they were married until his passing in 1986.

Colleen started studying piano at a young age and later on in life began to sing. Musical ministry at the churches she attended, Highland Baptist, Staub Memorial and Lincoln Street Baptist gave her much enjoyment. In addition to singing in church, Colleen developed her alto voice with the Portland Symphonic Choir. She would continue singing later on in her life at the Pomeroy Living History Farm each summer where her family demonstrated early American farm life to visitors.

Colleen also enjoyed crocheting, and showed her love to family and friends by making them cozy crocheted afghans.

As a grandmother, Colleen was very involved with her grandchildren and always kept up on the new babies being born in the family. She passed along her love for music to her grandchildren and never missed an opportunity to attend their piano recitals. After retirement she even moved to the apartment complex managed by her younger son and his wife to be closer to the grandchildren.

In addition to being a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother and aunt, Colleen was an exceptional friend. Wherever she went she touched people’s lives. The last 6 months of her life she lived at Maryville Nursing Home in Beaverton, where she befriended the staff and residents, considering many adoptive family members.

Colleen is survived by her sons, Lawrence (Becky) Harmon and Michel (Sherri) Harmon; sister, Pat; 7 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; numerous adopted grandchildren; 5 nieces; 3 nephews and many friends and extended relatives.

Family and friends can make contributions in Colleen’s name to American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org), Pregnancy Resource Center (http://www.portlandprc.org) or Pomeroy Living History Farm (www.pometroyfarm.org).