Frances Harriet Bevan

Frances Harriet (Harder) Bevan
April 28, 1942 – August 14, 2024

Family and friends were everything to our beloved Harriet, so it is with heart felt deepest regret that I have to announce the passing of one of the nicest, tenderest, loveliest, most caring ladies I could ever hope to meet let alone get to spend so many wonderful years with.
Frances Harriet – (“Harriet” to her friends and to all who met her) – was born to Peter and Poly Sholter on April 28th, 1942 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. Even though she grew up on a farm, in her heart she was not a farm girl so when she was ready to, she moved to the big city of Edmonton, Alberta. She soon found employment with one of the banks and thus, due to her remarkable ability with numbers and with names and her warm and winning personality, embarked on her career in that field. She attained the position of loans officer, but she turned down offers for management. She had two children, a boy (Martin) and a girl (Sheila) from her first marriage. To Harriet family wasn’t only her love but it was also a responsibility that she took to heart with complete dedication. To further her first husband’s business goals the family relocated several times and Harriet (being Harriet) not only aided and assisted her husband in his oilfield transportation career where ever and whenever she could, but she also often travelled with him on his trips to Texas and occasionally their children accompanied them. Harriet also acquired employment of her own, often in the familiar environment of the banking industry where she was highly desired and readily accepted.
Relocating back to Edmonton Harriet worked hard as a single parent to support herself and her two children. It was during this phase of her life that she applied for a position within Imperial Oil Ltd and, due to her strong abilities, solid endorsements and her background, was soon hired. She was added to the liquid petroleum distribution team at the fuel loading facility. With her strong dedication to her job responsibilities and strong willingness to be a good team member and team player her employment with IOL soon became a new and rewarding career for our Harriet. While working at the 88 and the 92 branch terminals she also had several trips to Toronto on training courses and to Calgary to fill in and to relieve team members there.
I first spoke with Harriet when she worked at the 88 terminal. It was a brief meeting but her warm smile, beautiful blue eyes and caring and kind manners made a lasting impression on me. She was transferred to the 92 terminal shortly after that so it wasn’t until several years later that I got to meet her again. I was no longer married and I was once again taken with both her physical beauty and that inner beauty that was so much Harriet. I learned that she liked to go dancing and when I asked her out she accepted. We started dating and after a year began our life together. We enjoyed going for walks and hikes, dancing, doing crossword puzzles together and watching comedy sitcoms and mystery shows. I enjoyed gardening and she was always very pleased with what I was able to accomplish with our yard. Harriet loved to see things grow and to watch the flowers bud and open. As I needed to reside temporarily part time in northern Alberta due to work, Harriet would often come up to stay with me and accompanied me on my trips. It was during these trips that I first taught her how to drive and how to operate a semi-truck. She took an early retirement package from IOL and after she had taken a more involved professional driving course we began driving as a team, traveling across Canada and into the USA.
When the company we were working for sold out to another, Harriet decided that she wanted to stay at home and enjoy a more relaxing retired life. Being at home she quickly made friends with Diane, a neighbor, and several other ladies including Joanne. She enjoyed getting together with them, having coffee, going for walks and for drives together.
She was “our” Harriet because that is who she became to many of the thousands of people she got to meet during this time. I say she got to meet, but for many of those people they felt that they were the ones who got meet her. With her warm smile, quiet manner, soft spoken voice, friendliness, intelligentce and more than capable abilities she often drew out the best in people and they soon both appreciated and like her. She fulfilled the duties of her position to the maximum and many times went beyond in order to help someone. She was smart and she was sharp and she was honest, she was compassionate, helpful and her regard for the other person was that they were a human being worthy of her time. Harriets passion was walking. From short walks to the grocery store to nature trail walks long the Blackmud creek to walks that took her all the way from her home in south Edmonton to the city down town core. Full of energy she would get up early in the morning before she had to go to work or late in the evening and even late at night after a full day she would head out for her walk. A holiday wasn’t a holiday if she couldn’t walk somewhere. She laughed when she told me she had heard a child say to his mom “See, there goes the walking lady!” Her other passion was cooking and creating meals whether in the kitchen or on the barbecue and she often watched or listened to cooking programs to discover a new way to serve a meal. It was a joy to and for her to put together, make and serve a full and always delicious meal for small groups of family or friends.
Mostly…. she cared……. for and about almost everyone and anything. Things close to her, in her control and not, and things miles away and even across the world. She cared and it always came from her heart ….. which eventually could not carry her any further. Harriet passed away at 1:15pm in the Leduc Hospital in Leduc, Alberta. I stood by her side and always within her view while she struggled to overcome her labouring heart, always letting her know that she was not alone and that not only I and her family loved her deeply but that she was also loved and admired and treasured by so many people. Finally, sitting next to her, we took each in our arms, we kissed each other, told each other that we love the other and then I did the one thing I never ever wanted to do and the hardest thing I have ever had to do…… I told her it was ok to let go. Caring to the very end, she said that she was sorry but she just could not struggle anymore and to let both of her children know that she loved each of them so very much.
Harriets passing at the age of 82 was preceded by her father Peter Sholter, her mother Poly Sholter nee Pronych, her sister Rosaleen Wilhelmsen nee Sholter and her brother-in-law Egan Wilhelmsen.
She is survived and deeply missed by her husband of 32 years Don Harder, her son Martin, daughter-in-law Dewi & granddaughter Meisya Bevan, her daughter Sheila Bevan & her grandson Nolan & his wife Olivia Bevan-Flores, by her sister Shirley & brother-in-law Jack Berglof, by her brother Gene & sister-in-law Mona Sholter and by Dons brother Darius & partner Loki Kriese, brother Darin, wife Ruth, nephews Brayden & Austin & niece Madison, Dons daughter Aubree & grandson Taelen Cavanagh. As I stated at the beginning, family was everything to Harriet but so was friendship and she cherished both. I know that she will be very sadly missed by her cousins, nieces and nephews as well as by her long time, close and truly loved friends Rita, Grace, Diane and Joanne and by many, many more friends and acquaintances.
I had the privilege and immense pleasure of sharing the years God gave her with me and I know that I am not the only one deeply affected, in one way or another, by the loss of her. She had won the hearts of so, so many. The world truly was a much better place with her in it. She will be remembered and she will be missed and all of our prayers go out to her that she truly is in a much nice, kinder place.
As per Harriets wishes her body was cremated and no service was to be performed. At this time a memorial service for her is not planned.