Harriet A De Haan

DE HAAN, Mrs. Harriet A.
Kalamazoo, MI Died Monday evening March 9, 2009 in St. Louis, Michigan. Harriet was born October 1, 1908 in Mankato, Minnesota, a daughter of Martin and Marie Melbraaten Gjestrum. She was a Kalamazoo area resident most of her life. She earned a BA from Western State Teachers College now WMU and an MA from Northwestern University. She taught 13 years at Paw Paw and then spent 24 years with the Kalamazoo Public Schools, serving as principal of Hillcrest and South Burdick Schools and then of South Westnedge and Pleasant Park Schools. Harriet was a member of the First Congregational Church, Delta Kappa Gamma and Sons of Norway. She married Henry DeHaan June 23, 1929 and they had 60 happy years together before he passed away on November 19, 1989. She was preceded in death by her parents; 4 sisters, Pearl Williams, Genevieve Durgan, May Johnson, and Lillie Mathews; and a brother, Herbert Gjestrum. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Jean John Gibson of Alma, MI; 2 grandchildren, Susan Kenny of Brunswick, MD, with her children, Scott, Brian, Thomas and Lauren; and Steven Gibson, and his wife, Ting-Hui Lee of Bowling Green, KY; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be held 1 o'clock Friday from the Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Memorial Chapel, 622 S. Burdick St. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the chapel. Interment will be in Mt. Ever-Rest Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to organizations or programs that benefit children. www.langelands.com . 343-1508.