Harriet Ellen Grandquist

Harriet was born in Des Moines on November 12, 1931 and lived her entire life in the area. Harriet married her high-school sweetheart, John Grandquist on September 17, 1948. While she devoted her life to him and raising their four children, Harriet was also a trailblazer. She and John owned several businesses beginning in the mid 1960’s with the West Des Moines Billiard Center located on the corner of 12th and Grand. The local pool hall catered to the junior high kids offering them a place to gather and dine on Harriet’s now family-famous beef burgers and fries for 50 cents . In the early 1970’s, Harriet opened the Grandquist Gift House, a high-end gift boutique in Downtown Des Moines. Several years later, she became the Hotel Manager of the swanky Savory Hotel, which is still thriving today. The many years following were filled with travel and doting on her family and friends.

She was the model for how you love and run a family. Harriet & John were passionate about building a close family with meaningful traditions. Most notable is the annual Christmas Eve home visit from Santa Claus to dinners at Christopher’s to Iowa Cubs baseball to regular family vacations to our home away from home, Siesta Key. Where there was one Grandquist; there was bound to be many more. Harriet was a great Canasta player, a storyteller, an avid reader, a puzzle master, an adventure seeker, extremely witty and a loyalist to the core. These are just a few of the traits that made her “one of a kind” and missed by any who knew her.

Harriet is survived by her three sons; John T. Grandquist II (Theresa), Jeff Grandquist and Jim Grandquist (Sue) and son-in-law Gary Wermersen. Harriet’s eleven grandchildren Tiffany Blazenko, Tricia White (Dan), Tamme Forret (Brad), Maggie and John T. (Teddy) Grandquist III, Alexandra, Mackenzie and Clarke Grandquist, Josh, Zach and Jake Grandquist, six great-grandchildren, Ellie, Sam, and Will Blazenko, Jacqueline and Joe White, Claire and Katie Forret, and Addison Grandquist; as well as, her two sisters, Beverly Samuelson (Gene) and Carol Spolar and many adoring nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held Friday, September 3, 2021 from 3-5 pm at McLaren’s Funeral Chapel in West Des Moines. Contributions in memory of Harriet Grandquist may be made to the Taylor House Hospice or AHeinz57 Pet Rescue.