Elaine Groves Harp98, of Hanover, died on Monday, August 1, 2016, surrounded by family. She was born on June 3, 1918 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the youngest of three sisters. Elizabeth (Bessie) was eighteen when Elaine was born; Edith was nineteen. Elaine often said she was raised by three mothers, as her father died when she was thirteen.

Elaine was beautiful and lively. She met Elmer Harp, Jr. when she was 17 and he was an undergraduate at Harvard. They married on her 21st birthday in 1939 and moved to Ohio, where Elmer built a log cabin, and they tapped the property's sugar bush. But the war changed their plans; Elmer was called to service and joined the Navy as a Lieutenant JG. He was the captain of PT boats in the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters, and wrote long, exquisitely detailed daily letters to Elaine (often revealing his location in code). She kept and cherished these letters all her life.

Elmer and Elaine moved to Hanover in 1946, and settled in their home on Maple Street in 1951, where they lived for the next 56 years. Elmer co-founded the Anthropology Department at Dartmouth, and was a much loved, well-respected professor and authority on arctic archaeology.

For many who knew her, Elaine represented a kinder, gentler time. She was an active and engaged member of the Hanover community, and volunteered for many years at the Howe Library, where for decades she wrote reviews of mysteries, and served on the Board of Trustees. She was fiercely loyal to the small businesses in Hanover, and is remembered for her kindness and good cheer "€" bringing lemonade to road crews in the hot summer sun, and showing great interest and concern for local families "€" small things that made life in town sweeter and more civilized.

Elaine served on the Board of Directors of the Hanover Co-op in its early years. In the sixties she volunteered as accent coach to the Dartmouth Players, and she played the role of the Widow Corney in the Players' production of "Oliver." She later taught conversational French as a volunteer at Hanover High School. Elaine loved entertaining, and welcomed students and faculty to her home on many memorable occasions. She and Elmer hosted a guest speaker program at Dartmouth that welcomed luminaries like E.E. Cummings and Bennett Cerf, among others.

Elaine travelled with Elmer on several early archaeological expeditions to Newfoundland and Labrador and in 1959 to Copenhagen, where Elmer was engaged in research for a Fulbright. The children accompanied them in various configurations. Elaine took great pride in supporting Elmer's work, and made significant contributions to his book, "Lives and Landscapes." The couple made many lifelong friends in Port au Choix, Newfoundland and in Labrador, and in Denmark and Norway. Beginning in the sixties the Harps served as a host family for many Scandinavian Dartmouth students.

Elaine loved studying languages. She was an avid reader (a book a day was not unusual), and an excellent raconteur. Her memory and eye for details was remarkable. She was also a talented artist working mainly in pastels, primarily portraits. From a young age, Elaine dreamed of playing the drums, but her mother felt that would be unladylike. She took them up with gusto in her seventies.

Elaine ran an organized household"€"her sister Edith was often quoted as saying that Elaine, if asked, could have organized the Normandy invasion. She was famous for her afternoon naps, and was able to accomplish by 8 am what many might take all day to achieve.

In 2007, Elaine and Elmer moved to Wheelock Terrace, where Elmer died in 2009, at 96.

Elaine was a devoted wife, mother and friend. She will be fondly remembered and missed by her four children: Jack (Donna), Geoffrey (Patty Jo), Vicky Drucker (Reid), and Douglas (Susan Salter), and their children. All carry the memory of her vivacious presence into the future.

The family wishes to thank the following for their love and kindness: the staff at Wheelock Terrace, Wayne Lahaye, Howe Library, Dr. Lisa Furmanski and her staff at DHMC and APD, and the office of Dr. Elaine Neal.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Elaine's memory to Howe Library, 13 South Street, Hanover, NH 03755.

Per Elaine's wishes there will be no calling hours or funeral service.

Arrangements were under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, NH.