Harriet Fritz, age 88, of Springfield, MO, and formerly of Morton, MN, died Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at The Manor at Elfindale in Springfield, MO. A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 29th at 10:30 AM at Redeemer Lutheran Church 2852 S Dayton Ave, Springfield, MO 65807. Interment will be at a later date at Morton City Cemetery.

Harriet Ann Fritz was born June 24th, 1936 to Lawrence and Bernice (Cornwell) Blume. She graduated from Morton High School and attended Mayville State Teachers College at Mayville ND. Subsequently, Harriet taught school in various North Dakota rural schools and later, inner city schools in Milwaukee, WI. In 1957, Harriet married Harold J. Fritz and they were blessed with two children, Ronald Jon and Barbara Ann. They were also blessed with one grandchild, Ryan Jon Fritz and two great granddaughters, Avery Grace Atkins and Hayden Faith Atkins.

As a child, Harriet enjoyed living and working on her family’s farm. She liked to tell stories of when she drove their old gray Fordson tractor for her grandfather while he picked up rocks.

As an adult and a wife, she loved hand crafts and baking. She made dozens of gallons of “junk” (Chex mix) and cookies every Christmas. She made cookies year-round for her grandson and his college friends. She won awards for her Sgrafito pottery and pine needle baskets. She sewed, quilted, cross stitched, embroidered, and crocheted. She painted landscape pictures, walls, fences, and barns. Generally, she painted herself too. She pounded flowers into fabric. She preferred detailed work but was not intimidated by large jobs. While watching her pressure wash a driveway one day, her husband commented, “give that woman five gallons of paint and a mile of fence and she’d be the happiest woman in the world.”

As a mother, Harriet, along with Harold, was constantly engaged in projects to help her children, friends and family. They built decks, painted houses and called themselves “Habitat for Family”.

As a grandmother, Harriet enjoyed spending summers with her grandson, Ryan, in Wilmar, MN on Green Lake. Ryan spent so much summertime with her and Harold in Wilmar, MN that she helped coach his Wilmar little league team and sometimes even played first base during practice.

When Harriet finally began to slow down she continued to enjoy most her former pastimes but also organized other retirees who, together, began to knit wool helmet liners for troops, mainly troops in Afghanistan. As her efforts matured, medevac teams began to reach out to her for hats because of the warmth they provided to injured troops on the cold helo ride to the hospital. She named her effort “Work For Troops” and after ten years of knitting she’d rallied enough knitters to produce 14,700 wool hats. For this effort, Harriet and Harold were recognized by the State of Missouri in 2011 with a Senior Service Award in a ceremony at the state capital.

Her art and the memories she created will last many generations but perhaps her most lasting contribution will be the genealogy research she’s done for her extended family.

Harriet was a great example of how to age with grace and purpose.

Harriet is survived by her husband Harold Fritz; her son Ronald Fritz, her daughter-in-law Joann Fritz of Marietta, GA, her grandson, Ryan Fritz of Springfield, MO, her daughter Barbara Below and son-in-law Rev. Mark Below of Antigo, WI. Harriet was preceded in death by her parents, brother Jim Blume and sister Sharon Switzer.

Flowers can be sent to Redeemer Lutheran Church 2852 S Dayton Ave, Springfield, MO 65807

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Greenlawn Funeral Home South.