Grace Ann (Kelsey) Harmon

1934-2023

Woodstock – Grace Ann (Kelsey) Harmon, 88, of Prospect St., passed away at her home on Sunday, January 22, 2023, with her family by her side. She was the loving wife of the late James B. Harmon for 61 years. Born in Middletown, she was the daughter of the late Erwin and Grace (White) Kelsey.

In her youth, she loved riding her horses with her sisters, Isabel and Marion. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1952 and married Jim in 1957. She lived in Middletown where she and Jim ran the Kelsey Spring Water Company from 1966 until 1977, when they purchased Westview Farm in Woodstock. While living in Woodstock, Grace was a member of the East Woodstock Congregational Church. As part of the church, she was active in the Altar Guild, the Holly Fair, many church dinners, and the 4th of July Jamboree. She chaired the Strawberry Shortcake booth at the Jamboree for 17 years, during which time she baked nearly 7,000 shortcakes and prepared more than 3,000 pounds of strawberries with the help of her family and church volunteers. Few things gave Grace greater satisfaction than seeing the number of people who returned to the Jamboree each year to enjoy the strawberry shortcake. Grace was also a 4-H club leader for many years and a life-long member of the B.U.O.D. club. Grace’s greatest joy was working alongside her husband and family on the farm. Grace and Jim managed a milking herd of Holstein cattle from 1977 until 1996. She was involved in every aspect of the farm, from milking the cows to harvesting the crops.

Grace leaves her son Joel and his wife Sharon of Amboy, IN; two daughters, Judith Perkins and her husband Michael and Alyson Hebert and her husband Joe, both of Woodstock; seven grandchildren, Sarah, Patricia and her husband Dan, Jason and his wife Krystal, Amelia, Rachel, Megan, and Stuart; six great-grandchildren, Landon, Hudson, Lincoln, Linnea, Evelyn, and Reagan. Grace is survived by her sister, Marion Seifert of Middlebury, VT. She was predeceased by her sister Isabel Wimler of Durham. Grace will be remembered for her love and dedication to her immediate and extended family, her farm, her many pets, her kindness, and her generosity.

A private family memorial will be held in the spring. Memorial donations may be made to the Ladies Benevolent Society, East Woodstock Congregational Church, P.O. Box 156, East Woodstock, CT 06244. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory. For memorial guestbook please visit www.GilmanAndValade.com.