Obituary for Harriet E. Garber (Newcomer)
Harriet Elizabeth Garber, 95, of Ephrata, and formerly of Akron, was carried in the arms of her Heavenly Father to her final resting place on October 17th, 2022. Having suffered a serious head injury from a fall in December of 2021, she spent the next 10 1/2 months at Ephrata Manor rehabilitating, rallying, and ultimately declining. Born in Washington Boro, she was the daughter of the late Ralph D. and Margareta Maxsein Newcomer and the loving wife of the late Irvin B. Garber, who passed in February of 2004.
Upon graduation from Lititz High School in 1944, she worked at Armstrong for five years before starting a family and becoming a devoted stay-at-home mother to her three daughters. In 1961 she worked part-time as a cafeteria lady in the Ephrata School District, first at the high school and later as head cook at the middle school for 25 years. Cooking, canning, and baking were her passions. From soup to desserts, her homemade chicken, corn, and noodle soup and beef vegetable soup were family favorites along with her decadent sinfully rich brownies, which left her family begging for more. After she retired, Harriet developed an interest in candy-making and gifted fortunate family members and friends with her delectable peanut butter and butter cream eggs, milk chocolate caramels, toffee, and peanut brittle. For many years, Harriet entered her baked goods and confectionaries in the Ephrata Fair and won her fair share of blue ribbons for her cookies and candy.
A member of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Akron for 74 years, Harriet volunteered in the church nursery, taught Sunday School, and served as a member of the Kitchen Committee. A selfless lady, she volunteered at the Ephrata Community Hospital gift shop and prepared food for Meals on Wheels in Ephrata for many years. After her husband passed in 2004, she dedicated her time to helping skilled nursing residents at Ephrata Manor play Bingo and make crafts. When she moved to an apartment at Ephrata Manor herself in 2010, she joined the choir and bell choir and served as corresponding secretary for the Resident Association. She loved playing pinochle with her friends at Ephrata Manor and enjoyed a good, competitive game of bocce ball and shuffleboard. Even during her stay in skilled nursing at Ephrata Manor, she was a bocce ball champ. She also enjoyed listening to country music or gospel music, particularly by the Gaithers. Her faith was foremost in her life; she read her Bible daily and prayed ceaselessly.
Family was of the utmost importance to Harriet, and she cherished time spent with her daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved celebrating holidays and special occasions by setting a table bountiful enough to feed an army. No one ever went home hungry after a feast at the Garber house. In addition, she enjoyed sending cards to her friends and family and generously bought her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren special gifts for birthdays and various holidays. She was indeed a hard-working, compassionate, loving, independent, and sometimes feisty lady. She will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by her daughters: Cynthia (Cindy), wife of Phil Kauffman of Ephrata; Janice, wife of John Houp, of Mount Penn; and Christine (Chris), wife of Kerry Hess of East Petersburg and by her grandchildren: Chad Kauffman of Pittsburgh, Sean Kauffman (Laura) of Stevens, Jennifer Pulini (Chris) of Ambler, Justin Houp (Tara) of Mount Joy, Mandy Hess and fiance Jesse Holden of Mt. Airy, MD, and Kelly Buff (Max) of Chesapeake Beach, MD. In her early eighties, Harriet thought she would never live to see any great-grandchildren, but she was blessed with eight beautiful great-grandchildren: Noah, Benjamin, Adam, Kaitlin (Kate), Nolan, Harper, Jett, and Jasper. Harriet is also survived by her sister-in-law Shirlan Newcomer and by many nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her siblings: Margaret (Tina) Findley, Dorothy Hetrich, Geraldine Bollinger, Mervin Newcomer, Melvin Newcomer, and Ralph Newcomer, Jr.
The family would like to extend its thanks and gratitude to the chaplain at Ephrata Manor, to the Hospice Chaplain, and to Missy Hoffman from Zion Lutheran for their visits and spiritual guidance and prayers throughout the past seven months. Special thanks to the occupational therapist Beth and the speech therapist Heather, who lovingly encouraged and worked with our mother during her rehab, to the nurses who were devoted to her care and treated her with such kindness and tenderness, to the recreation staff who invited her to participate in activities and exhibited such a positive attitude, and to her Hospice nurse Donna who devotedly and gently cared for our mom and helped all of us process the changes she experienced these last seven months.
A viewing will be held on Friday, October 28, 2022, from 10 to 11 AM at the Zion Lutheran Church, 435 Main Street, Akron, followed by funeral services at 11:00 AM with Pastor Missy Hoffman officiating. Interment will take place in the Memory Gardens Memorial Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Harriet's memory may be made to Hospice and Community Care, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA, 17604 or Ephrata Manor, 99 Bethany Road, Ephrata, PA 17522.
Arrangements by Stradling Funeral Homes, Inc., Akron/Ephrata.
Upon graduation from Lititz High School in 1944, she worked at Armstrong for five years before starting a family and becoming a devoted stay-at-home mother to her three daughters. In 1961 she worked part-time as a cafeteria lady in the Ephrata School District, first at the high school and later as head cook at the middle school for 25 years. Cooking, canning, and baking were her passions. From soup to desserts, her homemade chicken, corn, and noodle soup and beef vegetable soup were family favorites along with her decadent sinfully rich brownies, which left her family begging for more. After she retired, Harriet developed an interest in candy-making and gifted fortunate family members and friends with her delectable peanut butter and butter cream eggs, milk chocolate caramels, toffee, and peanut brittle. For many years, Harriet entered her baked goods and confectionaries in the Ephrata Fair and won her fair share of blue ribbons for her cookies and candy.
A member of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Akron for 74 years, Harriet volunteered in the church nursery, taught Sunday School, and served as a member of the Kitchen Committee. A selfless lady, she volunteered at the Ephrata Community Hospital gift shop and prepared food for Meals on Wheels in Ephrata for many years. After her husband passed in 2004, she dedicated her time to helping skilled nursing residents at Ephrata Manor play Bingo and make crafts. When she moved to an apartment at Ephrata Manor herself in 2010, she joined the choir and bell choir and served as corresponding secretary for the Resident Association. She loved playing pinochle with her friends at Ephrata Manor and enjoyed a good, competitive game of bocce ball and shuffleboard. Even during her stay in skilled nursing at Ephrata Manor, she was a bocce ball champ. She also enjoyed listening to country music or gospel music, particularly by the Gaithers. Her faith was foremost in her life; she read her Bible daily and prayed ceaselessly.
Family was of the utmost importance to Harriet, and she cherished time spent with her daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved celebrating holidays and special occasions by setting a table bountiful enough to feed an army. No one ever went home hungry after a feast at the Garber house. In addition, she enjoyed sending cards to her friends and family and generously bought her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren special gifts for birthdays and various holidays. She was indeed a hard-working, compassionate, loving, independent, and sometimes feisty lady. She will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by her daughters: Cynthia (Cindy), wife of Phil Kauffman of Ephrata; Janice, wife of John Houp, of Mount Penn; and Christine (Chris), wife of Kerry Hess of East Petersburg and by her grandchildren: Chad Kauffman of Pittsburgh, Sean Kauffman (Laura) of Stevens, Jennifer Pulini (Chris) of Ambler, Justin Houp (Tara) of Mount Joy, Mandy Hess and fiance Jesse Holden of Mt. Airy, MD, and Kelly Buff (Max) of Chesapeake Beach, MD. In her early eighties, Harriet thought she would never live to see any great-grandchildren, but she was blessed with eight beautiful great-grandchildren: Noah, Benjamin, Adam, Kaitlin (Kate), Nolan, Harper, Jett, and Jasper. Harriet is also survived by her sister-in-law Shirlan Newcomer and by many nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her siblings: Margaret (Tina) Findley, Dorothy Hetrich, Geraldine Bollinger, Mervin Newcomer, Melvin Newcomer, and Ralph Newcomer, Jr.
The family would like to extend its thanks and gratitude to the chaplain at Ephrata Manor, to the Hospice Chaplain, and to Missy Hoffman from Zion Lutheran for their visits and spiritual guidance and prayers throughout the past seven months. Special thanks to the occupational therapist Beth and the speech therapist Heather, who lovingly encouraged and worked with our mother during her rehab, to the nurses who were devoted to her care and treated her with such kindness and tenderness, to the recreation staff who invited her to participate in activities and exhibited such a positive attitude, and to her Hospice nurse Donna who devotedly and gently cared for our mom and helped all of us process the changes she experienced these last seven months.
A viewing will be held on Friday, October 28, 2022, from 10 to 11 AM at the Zion Lutheran Church, 435 Main Street, Akron, followed by funeral services at 11:00 AM with Pastor Missy Hoffman officiating. Interment will take place in the Memory Gardens Memorial Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Harriet's memory may be made to Hospice and Community Care, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA, 17604 or Ephrata Manor, 99 Bethany Road, Ephrata, PA 17522.
Arrangements by Stradling Funeral Homes, Inc., Akron/Ephrata.