Celebrating Quad-Cities-area engagements, weddings, anniversaries and birthdays

Harley

Mrs. Harriet M. Harley, formerly of Davenport, will celebrate

her 105th birthday on July 27th. On July 28th, friends and

family—and possibly even a former student--will be celebrating

with her at The Fountains, in Bettendorf.

Mrs. Harley remains active making quilts, reading, working on

genealogy and writing her life story. She thinks that, despite the

challenges, in many ways she has lived during the best of times.

Here is some of her story.

Harriet Margaret Tinnes was born near Talleyrand. She grew

up on a farm there working hard, helping nurse her family

through scarlet fever, and weathering the depression. She played

the piano and taught Sunday school at St. Paul’s Evangelical

Church and led 4-H sewing classes. She also served as editor

of the Keota High School newspaper. Harriet graduated in the

class of 1931.

After earning her teaching certificate at Parsons College, she

taught eight grades in a one room schoolhouse heated by a pot

bellied stove. In 1936, she married Charles Wilton Harley of

West Chester. They moved to Davenport where they owned and

operated a confectionery called the Karmel Korn Shop. When

World War II broke out, all the young men in her family joined

the military. She became a Navy wife and traveled the country

with her aviator husband and two small daughters. After the

war, returning to Davenport, the couple owned and operated

East Locust Hardware for 37 years. And, she served as First

Lady of the Iowa Retail Hardware Association.

She had two daughters: Dr. Sandra Harley Carey (BGEN J.

Ronald Carey), Canyon Lake, Texas and Linda Leanne Harley;

two granddaughters; Bekkie Huffman (Kevin Huffman),

Bettendorf and Dr. Debbie Kirchberg (Dr.Tim Kirchberg),

Columbus, Wisconsin; and six great-grandchildren: Kisha,

Kamryn, and Kelsey Huffman of Bettendorf and Turner,

Tanner, and Trace Kirchberg of Columbus, Wisconsin.