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Harriet Jane Carnes Bonner Mitchell was born February 3, 1929, in DeWitt, Arkansas to Grover C. Carnes and Bertie Jo Stephens Carnes. Her dad was the manager of a local farm supply company and was an Arkansas State Senator and her mother was a homemaker. Harriet passed away on Tuesday, March 20, at the age of 89.
A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, March 24, at 1:30 P.M. at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Kathy Gibson and Rev. Dr. Janice Sharp officiating. Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitt Funeral Home.
Harriet grew up in DeWitt and graduated from DeWitt High School. She then attended the Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway majoring in English/Language.
Before graduating in 1949 she married Lloyd A. Bonner, also from DeWitt. The couple made their home in DeWitt where she taught English. They moved to Velma, Oklahoma where she was hired by Velma superintendent, Clarence Davis. She taught English there for five years. The couple then moved to Duncan where Superintendent Dion Wood hired her to teach English at Duncan High School. Shortly after she began her career at Duncan, the high school librarian retired and she accepted that position in 1961. In 1963 she graduated from Texas Women's College in Denton, earning her Master's Degree in Library Science. Harriet retired from Duncan Public Schools in 1985 after 40 total years in public education. She served 24 years of those years as the DHS librarian.
After retiring she continued her education that summer attending Oxford University in England. She studied the organization of the English libraries from primary to the university level.
Lloyd passed away on August 2, 1982. During the 1980's she took on the task of organizing boxes of documents written by Duncan native, Dr. Britain, a professor in Cambridge, England. These documents, "Letters from England" were then used by DHS English Teacher June B. Richardson in her classes.
On April 18, 1991, Harriet married Bob "Hershell" Mitchell in Duncan at the First United Methodist Church with Brother Phil Wahl officiating the ceremony. She and Hershell, a retired teacher/coach/principal, enjoyed many years together. They traveled to Alaska, Europe, Ireland, and Germany. They also enjoyed camping and fishing. They also enjoyed camping in Stillwater and attending OSU football games.
She and Bob enjoyed many years of marriage. They would go camping and fishing, but most of all, they enjoyed antique cars. Together they owned an A-Model Ford, a 1936 Buick, a 1930's Chevy 4-door, a 1967 forest green Mustang that once belonged to June Richardson, and a 1931 Jaguar. They were also members of the Duncan Antique & Classic Car Club.
Harriet was active in the Methodist church her entire life. As a young lady growing up in Arkansas, she was awarded perfect Sunday school attendance for 16 years. She would have her parents stop at a church if they were travelling so she could attend Sunday school.
She organized the library at the Duncan FUMC twice. She also owned many rental properties in the 800 block of West Beech, where she employed many students after school, as well as correcting their grammar. She instilled a sense of pride and also helped many of these young people attend college and become productive citizens.
Harriet was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, Lloyd, and an infant sister, baby Carnes.
Survivors include her husband, Hershell; niece Mary Mills and her husband Danny, of Broken Arrow; two cousins, Bruce and his wife Linda Carnes of Oklahoma City and Michael and his wife Diane Carnes of North Carolina; and a host of former students that she helped throughout their high school and college educations.
Memorial contributions may be made in Harriet's name to the United Methodist Boys Ranch, P.O.Box 999, Gore, OK 74435, phone 918-487-5281.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.whittfh.com.
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