Harriett Gruber

Harriett Helen Gruber was born October 3, 1914, in Sac City, Iowa, to Charles and Elsie Hechtner Brynteson. After a long illness, she died December 1, 2004 at the age of 90 years.

She is survived by her son, Loren Gruber of Marshall, Missouri; her daughter and son-in-law Mary and Richard Carter of Decorah; her grandchildren, Elizabeth Shinall of North Liberty, Iowa; Stephen Wilkinson-Gruber of Marion, Iowa; Margaret Crawford of West Des Moines; Sarah Carter of Des Moines; her great-grandchildren, Madeline Shinall; Alexander Wilkinson-Gruber; and Mick Carter; many cousins of the Brynteson, Hechtner, and Huldeen families; and numerous friends.

A 1932 graduate of Sac City High School, she attended Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota, from 1932 until 1933, before transferring to the University of Iowa, where she was a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority. There, she majored in Latin and minored in French.

She taught those languages in Chicago upon graduation from the University of Iowa in 1936. After her marriage to Maurice Deputy Gruber on June 26, 1938, the couple moved to Spencer, Iowa, where he practiced dentistry and she continued to teach. In 1951 they moved to Sac City where he practiced dentistry until his death in 1970. Harriett sub taught in Sac City and then taught English in Bayard, Iowa. She also studied Spanish at Buena Vista College.

Harriett Gruber received the Governor's Award for Outstanding Volunteerism in April 1988. She volunteered daily at Kate Mitchell Elementary School in Ames as an ESL tutor and teaching assistant, and she later volunteered in media services at Gilbert Elementary School in Gilbert, Iowa.

Active philanthropically, she was a member of P.E.O. She was initiated into Chapter BI, Sac City, in 1932, and is currently a member of Chapter IV, Ames. She held all of the P.E.O. chapter offices and served as delegate to Iowa state convention several times. She was also a volunteer for charities now known as the United Way, Easter Seals, and the Lung Association

Harriett Gruber served the Sac City Methodist Church as Sunday school teacher, Sunday school superintendent, organist, pianist and as delegate to the Iowa Annual Conference.

She was also a member of bridge clubs, a sewing club, the Fortnightly Current Events Club, a member of book clubs and a traveler. She journeyed to various locations in the United States under the auspices of the National Wildlife Federation Association, and she traveled to the Canadian Rockies, Nova Scotia, Hawaii, and each of the Scandinavian countries.

Services will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, December 4, 2004, at the United Methodist Church in Sac City, under the direction of Farber and Otteman Funeral Home. Memorials may be sent to the Program for Continuing Education (PCE); P.E.O. Executive Office; 3700 Grand Avenue; Des Moines, IA 50312; or to St. Ansgar Good Samaritan Center; 701 East 4th Street; St. Ansgar, IA 50472.

Visitation will be prior to the funeral service.