Mary Elizabeth Harle

Mary Elizabeth (Mills) Harle, 84, passed on Thursday, April 20, 2006 in Abilene, Texas after a long period of declining health. She was born October 20, 1921 in Port Arthur, Texas, the daughter of India (Young) Mills of a prominent pioneer Port Arthur family, and Henry O. (H.O.) Mills, a former Jefferson County commissioner and a former president of the Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce. (H.O. Mills Boulevard in Port Arthur is named after him.) She graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur in January, 1940. A highlight of her early years was the honor of cutting the ribbon to open the Port Arthur-Orange Rainbow Bridge constructed over the Neches River on Texas Highway 87. She later participated at the opening ceremonies when the second bridge was constructed, and also at the ceremonies when the Texas Historical Marker was unveiled at the fiftieth anniversary of the first (Rainbow) Bridge. Mrs. Harle attended Stevens College in Columbia, Missouri for two years and two years at the University of Texas at Austin where she graduated in 1944 with a degree in Home Economics. She was an active member of the Alpha Phi sorority all her life. Following college, she returned to Port Arthur where she worked as the Director for the Camp Fire Girls, which included running their summer camp. Mary Elizabeth married Joe Pearce Harle, also of Port Arthur, December 26, 1946. Following a short time in Del Rio, they settled in Houston, where they lived for 37 years. In Houston, she continued to be active in Camp Fire Girls, Alpha Phi sorority, Memorial Forest Garden Club, and Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church activities. She traveled extensively throughout the world with her husband, Joe, head of the J.P. Harle shipping companies. In 1980, she and Joe moved to Lakeway on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas where she was active in the Lakeway Women's Club, Lakeway Church, and various bridge clubs. She was a life-long bridge player and continued to enjoy traveling with her husband and Lakeway friends. In July 2005, for health reasons, she and Joe moved to a newly built retirement community in Abilene, Texas to be near their son and his family for their support. Mrs. Harle is survived by her husband of 59 years; daughter, Mary Lu Harle of Anchorage, Alaska; son and daughter-in-law, Robert Pearce Harle, DVM, and Nicki (Stallman) Harle of Baird, Texas; sister Lucia (Mills) Flanagan of Port Arthur, Texas; three grandsons, Joe Wilton, Henry Kirt and Lee Pearce Harle; two granddaughters-in-laws, two great-grandchildren, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is also survived by her wonderful caregivers, Althea Duerinckx, Cindy White and others. A private viewing for family and friends will be on Sunday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Clayton-Thompson Funeral Home in Port Arthur, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 pm on Monday, April 24, 2006 at the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Port Arthur, Texas. Graveside services will be at the family's lot in the Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery in Port Arthur immediately following. Local arrangements are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Friends may give donations to the Lakeway Church, 2203 Lakeway Blvd., Lakeway, Texas 78734, or the donor's favorite charity, in lieu of flowers.