Harriet Wilson

Harriet Wilson, 91, Wonder Lake, died Sunday, April 13, 2014, with her daughter at her side.

She was born Sept. 20, 1922, to Henry and Annie May (Foster) Moreton in Darlaston, S. Staffordshire, England.

On June 2, 1945, she married Stan Wilson in Darlaston.    

She served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in World War II from 1940 to 1945. She was one of the first women trained on the then-new radar detection system. While stationed on the southeast coast of England, she met her future husband, a Canadian army officer. After she was demobbed from the ATS, she came to the United States on a Canadian War Bride ship in 1946.

She and her husband moved to Chicago and stayed weekends at the Wonder Lake boarding house of Earl and Ruth Barnard, across from the Mill Inn. 

They eventually bought their home in Wonder Lake and lived there happily for 63 years. During this time, she helped her husband with the printing of the local Township News. 

She was a Sunday school teacher at Nativity Lutheran Church, a room mother at Harrison School and a Brownie and Girl Scout leader for many years. She also found time to work at the Admiral Corporation in McHenry. Later she worked in Science Research (SRA) in Lakemoor.  She retired from Oak Industries in Crystal Lake.

She was a lifetime member of the Woodstock Women of the Moose, Chapter 364. She also was a proud member and recording secretary for McHenry American Legion Post #491. One of her favorite duties as a member of the American Legion was to present American Legion Awards each year at Harrison School. 

She loved to knit, sew and garden and head to warm places in the winter with her loving sister, best friend and snowbird partner, Gladys.

Survivors include her daughter, Ruth, (the late Robert) Cepuder; two grandchildren, Jennifer Thibault and Aaron (Jen) Cepuder Sr.; and five great-grandchildren, Samantha and Alyia Thibault, AJ (Aaron) Cepuder, Jr., and Cole and Zach Hedlund; two sisters, Gladys (the late Tom) Dockery, Woodstock, and Joan (the late Tom) Moseley; a brother, John (the late Dorothy) Moreton; sister-in-law, Betty Moreton; and Ida Behling, Zion, who was like a sister to her. She was a very special ‘long distance’ great aunt to Valery (John) Russell, Jean (Sid) Martin, Peter (Julie) Moseley, Yvonne  (John) Collins, Christopher (Jane) Moreton, Stephen (Sue) Moreton and their families who live in England.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband of 63 years; an infant son, Paul; a sister, May (the late William) Pitt; and three brothers, Harry, Eric and George.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Harriet’s caregiver Patricia and Journeycare nurse Mary.

Visitation with the family will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 14, at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, McHenry. The service will immediately follow.

Inurnment will be private.

Donations can be made in her memory to McHenry American Legion Post #491, the Wonder Lake Food Pantry or the fire/rescue squads of either Wonder Lake or Fox Lake.

Arrangements were made by Justen Funeral Home & Crematory. 

Memorial services will be held Friday, April 25, in Sun City Arizona at All Saints of the Desert Episcopal Church and at St. Lawrence’s Church in Darlaston, England, at a later date.