Harold Curtis Jarvis

Harold Curtis ""Paw-Paw"" Jarvis, 89, beloved patriarch and proud patriot, died peacefully the evening of June 09, 2011. He passed into heaven with the gentle ease of a cooling breeze, free of strife and suffering, ushered by the love and everlasting devotion of family and friends. He died according to his wishes, not in a hospital, but in the house in Clemmons that he hand-built built 59 years ago. It is testament to Harold's character that this house was never, ever merely a residence. It was his home in every sense, its door always open in welcome. It was sanctuary and shelter for all who entered, a place of familial warmth and welcome defined by its rock-solid character - an inarguable reflection and extension of the man who built it. Harold Jarvis was part of what has become known as The Greatest Generation, and his life symbolizes all that made his generation a step above all that came before. He was born Feb. 20, 1922 in Clemmons, where the Jarvis clan had lived and worked since 1781. He was the son of John Franklin and Kate Jane Lowder Jarvis, one of seven children. His father was a hard-working man of character, a farmer who worked, lived by and learned from the land and its bounties, and Harold lived his life by his example. Harold grew up watching Clemmons blossom; he talked about walking along Lewisville-Clemmons Road as a boy, playing in the ruts left by horse-drawn wagons. The strong sense of community that came from his generational ties to Clemmons never left him. He was a hard-working man, self-made and self-educated, a voracious reader who was whip-smart - but never at the expense of his unflagging belief in the power of common sense. Family was everything, and he worked hard, without complaint to provide for his wife of 68 years, the late Mary Louise Welfare Jarvis (they were together 70 years, a union born of love at first sight), and his four children: the late Billy Wayne Jarvis; Karen Jarvis Zapata; Donna Jarvis Garcia and Harold James Jarvis. He was a self-sufficient man. He grew and sold tobacco. He grew produce and raised livestock, which he slaughtered and cured, to provide food for his family. During his life's journey, he also worked in a shipyard, operated a sawmill, a neighborhood grocery and a slaughterhouse, and raised horses. He embodied the word stalwart - physically and morally strong, firm and resolute. He served in World War II, part of an Army Infantry division assigned to the European Theater. In 1944, a mortar attack during the Battle of the Bulge - one that claimed all but four members of his division - left him with a severe head wound. Though left with a platinum plate in his head, he recovered from his injuries to such an extent that his children were flabbergasted to learn, many years later, that he was considered a disabled veteran. To Harold Jarvis, disabled never meant unable. His injuries slowed him down for a time, but they never stopped him. He was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, among other medals, for his military service. He became a proud member of VFW Post 9010 in Clemmons, for which he served as Post Commander from 1987-89. He was also a dedicated member of Harmony Grove Methodist Church in Clemmons, where he taught adult bible study, served as a lay preacher, sang in the choir and, in his late 70s, helped to build a new sanctuary. The great sorrows of Harold's life were the deaths of his wife Mary, for whom he acted as a tireless caregiver for five years; his first-born son, Bill; and his grandson, Hugh Daniel ""Danny"" McGaffigan. He will forever be loved and remembered by all who knew him as a family man, an honest and tolerant man, a humble, kind and caring man, a respectful man, a man of his word (but one of few words) ... a man's man who left an indelible impression on all whose lives he touched. Harold Jarvis is survived by one sister, Carolyn Jarvis Carter (Gene); a brother, William Tennyson Jarvis (Glenola); a son, Harold James ""Jim"" Jarvis (Debbie), and two daughters Karen Jarvis Zapata (Manuel) and Donna Jarvis Garcia (Ed Bumgardner); four sisters-in-law, Helen Graham, Barbara Copple, Barbara Jarvis, Lorene Jarvis; and brother-in-law Fred Welfare (Nancy). In addition, he is survived by nine grandchildren - David Joseph McGaffigan; Merri-Anne Simmons; William Michael Jarvis; Brian Jarvis Zapata (Kristin), Malcolm Jarvis Zapata; Matthew ""Mac"" Jarvis McGaffigan (Emily); Miles Bumgardner, Julian Bumgardner and Lowell Bumgardner - great-grandchildren Emma Marie Simmons, Lillian Sofia Simmons, Katharine Anne Simmons, Cole Zapata, Devlin McGaffigan, Haley McGaffigan and many nieces and nephews. Also near and dear to Harold's heart were two close family friends - Leona Transou and Annie Pierre. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home on Silas Creek Parkway. The funeral service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at Harmony Grove Methodist Church in Clemmons. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of Forsyth County or Harmony Grove United Methodist Church. Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com.

Memorials:
Hospice and Palliative Care of Forsyth County, 101 Hospice Ln. Winston-Salem, NC 27103 or Harmony Grove United Methodist Church, 5041 Styers Ferry Rd. Lewisville, NC 27023.

Cemetery:
Harmony Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery 5041 Styers Ferry Rd. Lewisville, NC, 27023 {14209}

Visitation:
6:00PM to 8:00PM on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel 3315 Silas Creek Parkway Winston-Salem, NC, 27103 {13303}

Service:
4:00PM on Sunday, June 12, 2011 at Harmony Grove United Methodist Church 5041 Styers Ferry Rd Lewisville, NC, 27023 {14208}

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