Viola Mae Harding, 88, of Newville, died Friday, March 5, 2010, in Green Ridge Village.She was born May 10, 1921, in Martinsburg, PA, the daughter of the late Zelda (Griffith) and Herman G. Koontz. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lt. Colonel Warren W. Harding; a son, Robert Warren Harding; and a sister, Eleanor Neal, of Salt Lake City, UT. She was a member of Allison United Methodist Church in Carlisle, PA. She was Past Matron of Oswald Taylor Chapter #540 of Newville and Old Belliare Chapter #375 Carlisle Order of the Eastern Star. She served in many positions for the Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania and traveled extensively throughout the state. She also held membership in Willard-Waterman #63, Order of the Amaranth, Ladies Oriental Shrine #578, Daughters of the Nile #549, Ozemb Temple #52 and various other related organizations.She and her husband founded Weight Watchers in Central Pennsylvania in 1967, from which they retired in 1992.She is survived by three daughters, Zelda (Maisie) Godfrey and her husband, Jack, of Newville, PA, Doris Bragan and her husband, Joe, of Bohemia, NY, and Janice Davis and her husband, Dick, of Maricopa, AZ; one sister, Marian Hansen of Huntsville, AL; two brothers, Marvin Koontz and his wife, Margaret, of Springfield, MO, Roy and his wife, Ellen, of Ft. Walton Beach, FL; one sister-in-law, Barbra Cusano of Winter Springs, FL; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces and nephews scattered across the country. Her funeral service will be held Saturday March 13, 2010, at 11 AM in the Egger Funeral Home, Inc., 15 Big Spring Ave., Newville. Burial will follow in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Mechanicsburg, PA. A viewing will be held on Friday, March 12, 2010, from 7 to 9 PM in the funeral home with an Eastern Star service at 8:45 PM. A viewing will also be held from 10-11 AM Saturday. Memorial contributions may be made to the Harding Memorial Scholarship Fund at Allison United Methodist Church, 99 Mooreland Ave., Carlisle, PA 17013 or the charity of your choice. www.pennlive.com/obits Published in Patriot-News on March 7, 2010.
I worked for Mae and Warren some thirty years ago. My most enduring and endearing memory of Mae is her reluctance to part with a piece of paper. Whether it was a newspaper from Blair County or a new membership form, Mae didn't want to throw it away. She thought it could still have purpose; could still have value.She applied the same philosophy to people. Mae handed out second chances ten times over, and I used to wonder why. She was also incredibly generous. The day my mother died, Mae drove from Newville to Carlisle at night to ensure I wouldn't be alone, and she gave me more than enough money to buy a nice dress to wear to my mother's funeral. It would be nigh on impossible to count the number of meals she paid for, whether we were in a group in the office or travelling together for a class. And I wouldn't be able to number the times she let me use the company car when my car was in the shop, or worse. I couldn't get in front of her with my wallet the last time I saw here which was this past December and she invited me to have lunch with her. Mae tried to teach me lessons in life; the little things that lubricate the operations of the day to day. Some of them I finally learned; others, less so. Sorry, just not my nature. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to know Mae. Thank you for listening to me.
I worked for Mae and Warren some thirty years ago. My most enduring and endearing memory of Mae is her reluctance to part with a piece of paper. Whether it was a newspaper from Blair County or a new membership form, Mae didn't want to throw it away. She thought it could still have purpose; could still have value.She applied the same philosophy to people. Mae handed out second chances ten times over, and I used to wonder why. She was also incredibly generous. The day my mother died, Mae drove from Newville to Carlisle at night to ensure I wouldn't be alone, and she gave me more than enough money to buy a nice dress to wear to my mother's funeral. It would be nigh on impossible to count the number of meals she paid for, whether we were in a group in the office or travelling together for a class. And I wouldn't be able to number the times she let me use the company car when my car was in the shop, or worse. I couldn't get in front of her with my wallet the last time I saw here which was this past December and she invited me to have lunch with her. Mae tried to teach me lessons in life; the little things that lubricate the operations of the day to day. Some of them I finally learned; others, less so. Sorry, just not my nature. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to know Mae. Thank you for listening to me.
Viola Mae Harding, 88, of Newville, died Friday, March 5, 2010, in Green Ridge Village.She was born May 10, 1921, in Martinsburg, PA, the daughter of the late Zelda (Griffith) and Herman G. Koontz. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lt. Colonel Warren W. Harding; a son, Robert Warren Harding; and a sister, Eleanor Neal, of Salt Lake City, UT. She was a member of Allison United Methodist Church in Carlisle, PA. She was Past Matron of Oswald Taylor Chapter #540 of Newville and Old Belliare Chapter #375 Carlisle Order of the Eastern Star. She served in many positions for the Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania and traveled extensively throughout the state. She also held membership in Willard-Waterman #63, Order of the Amaranth, Ladies Oriental Shrine #578, Daughters of the Nile #549, Ozemb Temple #52 and various other related organizations.She and her husband founded Weight Watchers in Central Pennsylvania in 1967, from which they retired in 1992.She is survived by three daughters, Zelda (Maisie) Godfrey and her husband, Jack, of Newville, PA, Doris Bragan and her husband, Joe, of Bohemia, NY, and Janice Davis and her husband, Dick, of Maricopa, AZ; one sister, Marian Hansen of Huntsville, AL; two brothers, Marvin Koontz and his wife, Margaret, of Springfield, MO, Roy and his wife, Ellen, of Ft. Walton Beach, FL; one sister-in-law, Barbra Cusano of Winter Springs, FL; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces and nephews scattered across the country. Her funeral service will be held Saturday March 13, 2010, at 11 AM in the Egger Funeral Home, Inc., 15 Big Spring Ave., Newville. Burial will follow in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Mechanicsburg, PA. A viewing will be held on Friday, March 12, 2010, from 7 to 9 PM in the funeral home with an Eastern Star service at 8:45 PM. A viewing will also be held from 10-11 AM Saturday. Memorial contributions may be made to the Harding Memorial Scholarship Fund at Allison United Methodist Church, 99 Mooreland Ave., Carlisle, PA 17013 or the charity of your choice. www.pennlive.com/obits Published in Patriot-News on March 7, 2010.
I worked for Mae and Warren some thirty years ago. My most enduring and endearing memory of Mae is her reluctance to part with a piece of paper. Whether it was a newspaper from Blair County or a new membership form, Mae didn't want to throw it away. She thought it could still have purpose; could still have value.She applied the same philosophy to people. Mae handed out second chances ten times over, and I used to wonder why. She was also incredibly generous. The day my mother died, Mae drove from Newville to Carlisle at night to ensure I wouldn't be alone, and she gave me more than enough money to buy a nice dress to wear to my mother's funeral. It would be nigh on impossible to count the number of meals she paid for, whether we were in a group in the office or travelling together for a class. And I wouldn't be able to number the times she let me use the company car when my car was in the shop, or worse. I couldn't get in front of her with my wallet the last time I saw here which was this past December and she invited me to have lunch with her. Mae tried to teach me lessons in life; the little things that lubricate the operations of the day to day. Some of them I finally learned; others, less so. Sorry, just not my nature. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to know Mae. Thank you for listening to me.
I worked for Mae and Warren some thirty years ago. My most enduring and endearing memory of Mae is her reluctance to part with a piece of paper. Whether it was a newspaper from Blair County or a new membership form, Mae didn't want to throw it away. She thought it could still have purpose; could still have value.She applied the same philosophy to people. Mae handed out second chances ten times over, and I used to wonder why. She was also incredibly generous. The day my mother died, Mae drove from Newville to Carlisle at night to ensure I wouldn't be alone, and she gave me more than enough money to buy a nice dress to wear to my mother's funeral. It would be nigh on impossible to count the number of meals she paid for, whether we were in a group in the office or travelling together for a class. And I wouldn't be able to number the times she let me use the company car when my car was in the shop, or worse. I couldn't get in front of her with my wallet the last time I saw here which was this past December and she invited me to have lunch with her. Mae tried to teach me lessons in life; the little things that lubricate the operations of the day to day. Some of them I finally learned; others, less so. Sorry, just not my nature. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to know Mae. Thank you for listening to me.
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