Harriett Tatterson, 88, of Bainbridge Island, died July 8, just 34 days after the death of her husband of 67 years, “Tat” Tatterson.

She was born Jan. 1, 1914 in Brownsville to Emil Francis Ekstedt and Amelia Christina Ekstedt.

She lived with a Bremerton family while she attended Bremerton High School, as it was too far to travel each day. She graduated in 1931, and was asked to accompany the family she had been living with to Hawaii.

It was on Oahu where she met and married Townsend “Tat” Tatterson in 1935 at Pearl Harbor. They lived on Kauai and Oahu for the next 20 years, where their children were born and raised.

When the war broke out on Dec. 7, 1941, she was the mother of three children under age 5. She later recalled being terrified, unable to communicate with her family in Brownsville, and with her husband working on Ford Island in the middle of Pearl Harbor.

But she handled the blackouts, air raids at all hours and rations (only dropping one child on the floor after a feeding in total darkness) with the courage of the times.

She made lifetime friends during the war, hosting bridge games at NAS Barber’s Point at all hours of the day or night, depending on the arrival of squadrons with their naval officer friends.

That never changed, even after the war ended. She and Tat were avid bridge players. In the 1960s, they and close friends formed “The Farthest North Bridge Club” in Barrow, Alaska, during their years at the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory.

While living there, they had the opportunity to fly out to the biggest U.S. ice station being built only 900 miles from the North Pole.

She and Tat later moved to the mainland and settled in Seattle, where they resided for the next 50 years. They belonged to Sand Point Methodist Church, Sand Point Country Club and many bridge groups.

She continued her volunteer efforts from the Girl Scouts in Hawaii to the Seattle Milk Fund, where she became the president of the Gov. McGraw Circle.

She is survived by her children, Gail (Emmet) Marshall and Anne (Max) Wisner of Bainbridge Island, and Tat III of Phoenix, Ariz; and grandchildren Tat Tatterson IV of Poulsbo, Todd (Kelee) Tatterson of Seattle, Gary Tatterson of Seattle, Heidi (Dave) Kaster of Hansville, Dan Wisner of Seattle, Hunter (Anna) Marshall of Seattle, Emmet (Kelly) Marshall II of Seattle, Christina Marshall of Auburn; great grandchildren, Brittany Wisner of Bainbridge Island, Alex and Katelyn Sue Tatterson of Seattle, brother Laurence Ekstedt of Chehalis and many nieces and nephews.

Her sisters Beatrice Miller of Port Angeles and Lois Perron of Brownsville preceded her in death.

A celebration of Harriett and Tat’s lives will be held at 1 p.m. July 28 at the Madison Avenue Retirement Center.

Remembrances can be made to the Bainbridge Island Fire Department. Arrangements were under the direction of Kass Funeral Home.