Harriette was born Feb. 25, 1929, in Fort Morgan, Colo., to Helen Marion (Jewel) and Albert Thomas Ross. She was the third of four children. Sadly, her mother passed away when she was only 5 years old. After her mother’s death, she lived with her grandfather until his death when she was 9.
The end of her life brought challenges as well because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her grandfather, James E. Jewel, was the apple of her eye. It wasn’t until her children were adults that they realized she only lived with him for 4 years. He was a well-respected national figure, serving in the Union Army during the Civil War beginning at age 14. Later in life, he rose to become the commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. She was very proud of her grandfather’s accomplishments. Harriette was an eternal optimist and never said “poor me.”
Her children, Kathleen and Forrest, only heard of her many “adventures” after being separated from her siblings. She earned spending money by babysitting, working at a laundry and a canning factory. She took the train by herself at age 15 to The School of the Ozarks (at the time, a private high school) where she graduated in 1946. She helped pay for her tuition by babysitting for teachers’ families and working part-time in the school kitchen where she learned about southern cooking, taught by a beloved African American cook named Cal.
After high school, at age 18, Harriette attended a year of college in Arkansas then moved to Denver where she worked for a dry cleaner and then as a telephone operator to earn money to continue her education. She lived at Mr. and Mrs. Martin’s Apartments where she became friends with a couple from Nampa. They in turn arranged for their young friend, John Peebles from Nampa, to live there as well.
Soon after his arrival, she and John began dating. They were wed in Denver on June 17, 1948. Harriette with her husband and infant daughter, Kathleen, moved to Hungry Horse, Mont., in the fall of 1950. They spent two years there while John worked as a Civil Engineer at Hungry Horse Dam. They met who would become lifelong friends and enjoyed all of the outdoor activities that Montana is famous for.
In 1953, they moved to San Mateo, Calif., where son Forrest was born. John worked in San Francisco for a short time until an engineering job became available in Idaho, allowing them to be closer to their extended family. In Boise, Harriette’s children attended Jefferson School. During this time, she was active in the Jefferson School PTA, she was a Brownie Scouts leader and a Cub Scouts helper. In 1963, the family moved to Moscow where John taught Civil Engineering at the University of Idaho. Harriette was again involved in her children’s activities. She was also active in what at the time was known as Engineer’s Wives.
In 1966, the telephone company building in Moscow burned to the ground. Drawing on her experience in Denver operating a switchboard, she worked for several years as a telephone operator. In 1972, she and John moved back to Boise. While there, she worked for the Boise School District, in the office at Garfield School. She volunteered with the American Red Cross and worked on elections for many years. In 2014 she decided to move to Edmonds, Wash., a community that she had always enjoyed visiting, to be near her children living in the Seattle area.
Harriette was a devoted mother and was beloved by many of her children’s friends, especially those in the neighborhood “circle gang.” In her later years, as an honorary mother, she mentored and inspired a number of her “girls,” including Judy, JoAnn, Christine, Jan, Tracie, Linda and Susan. She loved you all. John and Harriette enjoyed 38 years of marriage until John’s death in 1986. Again the eternal optimist, while she missed her husband terribly, Harriette chose to be thankful for the 38 years they had together. While she missed the plains of Colorado where she met John, she grew to love the state of Idaho where they resided for most of their married life.
Throughout her life, in addition to caring for her family, including many beloved animals, she enjoyed music, especially live symphony; she was an avid reader with a special interest in history as well as poetry. Harriette’s family would like to acknowledge the thoughtful care given to her by Providence Hospice of Snohomish County and the wonderful caregivers and staff at Edmond’s Landing.
Harriette was preceded in death by an infant son, Randolph Clay; her husband, John; and her siblings. She is survived by her daughter, Kathleen, and husband, Wendell Phillips; and son, Forrest, and wife, Nancy (Roberts).
The family will hold a private memorial celebration for Harriette at a later date. Donations in Harriette’s name may be made to the John J. and Harriette R. Peebles Memorial Fund at the University of Idaho College of Engineering or a charity of your choice.
