Obituary of Harriett Deuel Elliott

Harriett Deuel Elliott of Palmyra, PA passed on at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown on January 18, 2019 at the age of 102. Born in Tulsa, OK, she was the first born of Archie W. and Irene Kingsland Deuel. She lived in Palmyra, PA for 24 years after the death of her husband of 46 years, Samuel J. Elliott in 1990. She lived a rich and loving life that everyone she knew commented on and learned from. She was a prime symbol of Tom Brokaw's metaphor, "The Greatest Generation." Harriett lived in Sistersville, WV and graduated salutatorian from Sistersville High School in 1933. She was the editor of the high school yearbook in 1932. She attended University for 1 year before the depression required her to quit. In 1936 her stellar math abilities landed her a job as a loan officer in Pittsburgh at the Colonial National Bank. She worked for over 7 years at the bank, becoming a valuable employee after all the men enlisted during WWII. While working she attended banking courses at the University of Pittsburgh in the evenings and earned a certificate in banking from Rutgers University. She loved attending the Pitt football games on a $6 season ticket. She met her future husband Sam in 1938 on a blind date because she was told he "knew how to dance." They got married during the war in San Diego in 1943. Later Sam was assigned to the Pacific Theater and shortly thereafter Harriett returned to WVA, pregnant with her first son David. After the war, Harriett and Sam settled in Pittsburgh where they started the Elliott Plumbing and Heating Company. She served for decades as office manager and accountant for this successful and busy company in a time when many new houses were being built. Over the years Harriett raised three children, was very active in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, PTA and church activities. She was President of the Church Women's Guild and the Mt. Lebanon chapter of the AARP. She served dinners for 30 years to the youth group at the Sunset Hills United Presbyterian Church and constantly was organizing programs to serve the communities in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. After moving to the Rockledge Community in Palmyra, Harriett attended the Hershey Free Church. Harriett came from a close family and was predeceased by her younger sister Virginia Mendenhall, and her brothers Milton Deuel and Arch Deuel as well as a grandson, Chad Kuhn. She is survived by her three children, son David Elliott and his wife Mary Jane currently serving in Hanoi Vietnam, daughter Lynn Kuhn and her husband Bob Kuhn of Palmyra, PA and daughter Jane Iskat and her husband John Iskat from Palatka FL. She nurtured 8 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren (and counting). Harriett taught us all the meaning of Faith, the lifestyle of Hope, and the experience of Love. A funeral service will be held Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 12:00 noon at Hershey Free Church, 330 Hilltop Road, Hummelstown, PA 17036. The family will receive guests at a viewing at the church on Wednesday from 11AM until the time of the service. Private interment will be in the Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Pittsburgh on Friday January 25th at noon. If desired, contributions can be made to Hershey Free Church or Sunset Hills United Presbyterian Church, 900 Country Club Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15228. To express a condolence with the family or for additional information, visit www.spencefuneralservices.com.