Harriet Q. Heilman

Harriet Isabel Quick Heilman, age 90, formerly of Rugby, North Dakota, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, in Bismarck, North Dakota, surrounded by her family. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, January 31, at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, with Rev. Msgr. Thomas Richter and Rev. Thomas Graner officiating. A graveside burial will be held on Monday, February 2, 2015, at 9:00 am at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, North Dakota. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Friday, January 30, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a rosary/vigil will begin at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Harriet was born to Isabel Stenson and Harry B. Quick, Sr., on June 15, 1924, in Fargo, ND. She graduated from Fargo High School in 1941, and at age 18, Harriet took instructions at St. Mary's Cathedral in Fargo and converted from the Episcopal Church to Catholicism. Harriet attended North Dakota State University where she was a member of Pi Omega Phi sorority, graduating in December 1945 with Bachelors Degrees in Home Economics and Human Development and Education. Harriet taught home economics, science and art at the New Rockford, North Dakota, Junior High and High School from 1946-1948 and was the organizer and advisor for the New Rockford High School chapter of Future Homemakers of America. While teaching, Harriet met her future husband John Jacob Heilman, a native of New Rockford and a meat-cutter at the local grocery store, and they were married at St. Mary's Cathedral in Fargo on September 1, 1948. For their honeymoon, Harriet and John traveled to the Black Hills in South Dakota and then on to their first home in Sunflower, Kansas, where John attended watch-making school in Kansas City, Missouri, and became a certified watchmaker. In December 1950, the family moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota, where John was a watchmaker in a jewelry store, and in September 1951, the family moved back to New Rockford where the couple started their own watchmaking, jewelry and gift business named Heilman's Jewelry. Harriet was active in the store's operation and also managed the business's bookkeeping. A final move took them to Rugby in 1960 where together they continued to own and operate Heilman's Jewelry for 26 years, which included a Hallmark card and gift shop. Harriet was a faithful member of the Little Flower Catholic Church in Rugby. Here she was an ardent volunteer for many activities in the church and at Little Flower Catholic School where her eight children attended school growing up. In addition, Harriet was a Catholic youth catechism instructor for seven years, a dedicated member of the Christian Mothers Holy Name Circle, and for several years, she organized supplies and designed floral arrangements in the church for daily masses, weddings, funerals and special occasions. Harriet had a rich prayer life and was devout in going to daily Mass and saying the rosary with her husband John. Upon moving to Bismarck in 2012, living at Edgewood Vista and then at her daughter Barbara and husband Dr. Thomas Thorson's home, Harriet and John were members of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Throughout her years in Rugby, Harriet was involved in many community activities including being an active member of the GFWC General Federation of Women's Clubs Rugby Literary Club for over 40 years, serving as President for two terms, Treasurer and District II President for one year, and a 4-H leader in Rugby and Pierce County for five years. She was also a 43-year member of the Clarence Larson American Legion Auxiliary Post #23. Additionally, Harriet was an organizer and chairwoman of the Rugby Literary Club Art Show, an annual, weeklong event that encouraged local and regional artists to display their work for the community to view. Harriet's personal interests included artwork, especially calligraphy, watercolor painting, and doing pastel portraits of her family. She also took pleasure in writing poetry since her high school years and over the years composed several poems about her grandchildren. Harriet was a meticulous seamstress, enjoyed needlework and hand-made several, personalized baptismal stoles and Christmas stockings for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also was an avid reader and enjoyed cooking, playing the piano and home organ, and caring for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was an extremely devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and always loved to pick out special books and cards for family members on their birthdays. Harriet is survived by her husband John of 66 years and their eight children: Patricia and her husband Al Kedora, Overland Park, Kansas, Dr. Kay and her husband Dr. Thomas Tweeten, Prior Lake, Minnesota, JoAnn Heilman Ho, Overland Park, Kansas, Thomas Heilman and his wife Sharon, Bismarck, North Dakota, Marilyn and her husband Peter Guthrie, Naperville, Illinois, Jeanne and her husband Peter Crain, Edina, Minnesota, Barbara and her husband Dr. Thomas Thorson, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Margie and her husband, Tony Galvin, Edina, Minnesota. She also leaves 23 grandchildren: Dr. John Kedora and his wife Diana, Kristyan Tweeten and her husband Travis Mjolsnes, Trevor Tweeten and his wife Marine, Christina Ho and her husband Brian Finney, Michael Ho, Lindsey Heilman and her husband Dave Lindsey, Eric Heilman and his fiancée Laura Stittsworth, Margie Guthrie, Ann Guthrie, Molly Guthrie, Robert Guthrie, Betsy Guthrie, Nicholas Crain, Matthew Crain, Jacob Crain, Jessica Thorson and her husband Scott Kahl, Jacqueline Thorson, Patricia Thorson, Andrew Thorson, Jenna Thorson, Adam Thorson, Sydney Galvin and Lucas Galvin. In addition, Harriet leaves her 11 great-grandchildren: Pierson Kedora, Julianna Kedora, Elyanna Mjolsnes, Logan Mjolsnes, Caydence Ho, Kathryn Ho-Finney, Christian Lindsey, Stella Kahl, Ambrose Kahl, Abram Kahl, and Sutton Kahl. Harriet is survived by her sister, Anita Quick Pollock, Duluth, Minnesota, niece Peggy Pollock Holden and her husband Scott, Davis Junction, Illinois, niece Barbara Pollock Haberkorn and her husband David and family, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, niece Pamela Heilman Branch and her husband Ken and family, Long Beach, California, and nephew Michael Mick Heilman and wife Donelle and family, Eagan, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her parents; half-brother, Harry Quick, Jr.; half-sister, Florence Quick; stepfather, Archie Dahlin; and granddaughter, Nicole Thorson. Memorials are welcomed to Little Flower Catholic Church and Little Flower Catholic School, 218 3rd Avenue SE, Rugby, ND, 58368.

Harriet Q. Heilman

June 15, 1924 - January 21, 2015