Harriet Anne Whitesel Van Ginkel of Hingham passed away peacefully May 14, 2013, with her daughter Susan and son-in-law Thomas Lincoln by her side. She was born Feb. 18, 1933, in Fort Wayne, Ind., and was 80 years old at the time of her death. Harriet was a loving and remarkably calm mother to her six children, a compassionate and loyal daughter to her beloved parents, Pauline and Harry, and lifelong best friend to her sisters, Lida and Rachel. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 1954 with a degree in education. After raising her children, Harriet returned to school and obtained her BS in nursing. She then worked for 23 years, first in Cincinnati at the Jewish Hospital and the Board of Health, then as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, and finally at the Harbor House Rehabilitation Center in Hingham, from which she retired in 2007. During her retirement years, Harriet was an active member of Old Ship Church and an enthusiastic volunteer at the Hingham Public Library. Harriet also devoted considerable time to perfecting her role as the unconditionally approving grandmother. Her qualities of kindness, sensitivity to others and resilience were an inspiration to all whose lives she touched. Harriet is survived by her sisters Lida N. Smith of Seattle, Wash., and Rachel Jordan (Jim) of Hanover, N.H.; her children, Susan Lincoln (Thomas) of Hingham, Jane Van Ginkel (Doug) of San Francisco, Calif., David Van Ginkel (Shirley) of Superior, Colo., Nancy Miller (Timothy) of Cincinnati, Ohio, Laura Dunworth (Kevin) of Austin, Texas, and Catherine Van Ginkel (Paul) of Portland, Ore.; and by her grandchildren, Jennifer, Rachel (Jan), Hannah, Benjamin, Steven, Neneh, Daniel, Alessandra, Brendan, Jonathan, McKenna, Ander and Samuel. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 2013, at Old Ship Church. Harriet will be laid to rest alongside her parents in the Whitesel family plot, Roselawn Cemetery, Charleston, Ill. Memorial gifts may be sent in her name to the Memorial Fund, Old Ship Church, 107 Main St., Hingham, MA 02043.




Published in The Patriot Ledger on May 21, 2013