Stella Harman
Aug 28, 1920 -
Dec 11, 2024
Longtime resident of Anchorage, Alaska, 104-year-old Stella Harman (Estella Anna Mosman) died peacefully at her home on Dec. 11, 2024. She was a devout Catholic and raised her family accordingly.
A rosary will be recited at Blessed Sacrament Monastery, 2645 E 72nd Avenue in Anchorage, at 10 a.m., on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. A funeral Mass will follow at Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 10980 Hillside Drive in Anchorage, at 12 p.m. Burial along side her husband, Del, at Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, 535 E 9th Avenue, is scheduled in the spring, on Saturday, June 16, 2025, at 10 a.m.
Stella was born in Uniontown, Wash., on Aug. 28, 1920, the fourth of six children to Albert and Mary (Wissink) Mosman. Her siblings were Bernadine, Ray, Loretta, Jean and Clarence "CJ."
She married Delbert Harman in Nezperce, Idaho, on Oct. 30, 1944. They raised 10 children: Jerry, Marilyn, Gordon, Randy, Rick, Don, Greg, Ed, David and Lori. Del worked on the railroad in Pasco, Wash., where the two oldest kids were born. They moved from there to Lewiston, where Del worked at the mill and two more kids were born. From there they moved to Cottonwood, Idaho, where they farmed and ran a dairy. The remaining kids were born there. In 1968, they sold the farm and moved to Moses Lake, Wash., where Del worked at Courtright Cattle Company in Warden. From Moses Lake they moved, in 1979, to Anchorage, where Del started up D&S Concrete, a manhole manufacturing company. The folks sold the company to sons Ed and David prior to Del's death in 1990. Ed and David have subsequently retired and sold the company to David's sons, Josh and Chase, who are branching out into offering additional concrete products. It is still going strong today.
Stella was a stay-at-home mom most of her life. She worked in the cafeteria at schools in both Moses Lake and Anchorage as the youngest kids finally got into school. In her later life, she lived for TV game shows and playing - and beating at - rummy with anyone who would engage with her. She retained her wit and comical sense of humor to the end. She was known for her many sayings, which we refer to as "Momisms."
She was preceded in death by her husband, Del; all five of her siblings and their spouses; sons, Greg and Randy; grandchildren, Annie and Aaron and great-grandchild Jared.
She is survived by her children, Jerry (Mary Ellen), Marilyn DeFord (Elmer), Gordon (Marilyn), Rick (Rose), Don (Virginia), Ed (Connie), David (Gail) and Lori Herbert (John), plus many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements are being provided by Kehl's Legacy Funeral Home of Anchorage. Flowers or donations should be delivered to Holy Spirit Retreat Center by 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.
