Elizabeth "Betty" Harlow

Elizabeth “Betty” Harlow, 94, passed away on December 27, 2022.

Our Mother, Betty, was born in Chicago, IL on December 20, 1928 to parents, Patrick and Margaret (McLinden) Doran. She lived in Chicago with her parents and younger brother Hugh until her mother passed away while giving birth to another son.

Unable to care for our Mom and Hugh, her father sent them to live with his sister, May, in Seaforde, Ireland. Hugh sadly passed away in Ireland around age seven.  After her father’s marriage to Sabina Monaghan, she came back to the states where her father was farming in Ivesdale, Illinois. She attended Immaculate Conception Academy, a boarding school in Davenport, Iowa. Upon graduating high school, she moved to Chicago eventually meeting Harold “Hal” our father at the 5^th Army Headquarters. After our Dad was transferred to Germany, they continued their romance through letters and eventually Dad asked Mom to come to Germany to be married. She did. Ten months later they welcomed their oldest daughter and within ten years welcomed seven more children, three more daughters and four sons, the perfect family, doubled, Mom would say.

Dad was transferred many times after Germany and Mom willingly packed up the household along with however many children there were at the time of his transfer and followed. Even when it meant flying across country with five children aged six and under by herself and driving the Alaskan highway with seven children aged nine and under while expecting our youngest brother.

Mom and Dad settled in Indianapolis on her beloved “Barnor Dr.” before Dad’s deployment to Vietnam. During this time she cared for all of her eight children and fed the neighborhood kids lunch to earn extra money. That was only one of her very many jobs she took on over the course of her career, ultimately retiring from Civil Service as an Administrative Assistant at Fort Benjamin Harrison.

In their retirement, Dad and Mom moved to Greenfield, where she began taking piano lessons fostering her love of music. She began guitar lessons in her 80’s and continued even through covid zoom lessons.

Mom loved to travel including cruising with family. She traveled the United States extensively and visited places like Ireland, England, Germany, Italy, France and Spain to name a few.

Mom played bingo at the K of C, volunteered as a Pink Lady at Community East and with OASIS which included tutoring in local schools. She also learned to knit scarves to welcome fans the year Indianapolis hosted the Superbowl.

Mom loved movies, reading biographies, the theater and spending time with her family.

Betty is survived by her brothers Hugh (Raiza) Doran and Dan (Janette) Doran; her children, Elizabeth Aileen (Jay) Higgins, Carol Bennett, Stephen Harlow, Patricia Gail Jones, James Harlow, Catherine (Jeff) McMahon, John (Kaimi) Harlow, Patrick (Cathy) Harlow; her grandchildren, Andy (Corinne) Higgins, Laura (Loren) Gronski, Kevin (Amy) Higgins, Jason (Sara Coleman) Bennett, Jacob Bennett, Christina (Max) Reinhardt, Stephen (Emily) Harlow II, Kevin (Heather) Harlow, Gregory (Katie Regan) Harlow, Shea (Mickel) McMahon, Brendan (Jamie) McMahon, Mary (Jeremy) Warren, Julie McMahon, Brian (Pam) Harlow, Anjelica Harlow, Jessica (Javier) Soto, Max Harlow, Stephen P. Harlow, Benjamin Harlow, and 30 great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents Margaret (McLinden) and Patrick (Sabina) Doran, her brothers Hugh Francis Doran, Patrick Joseph Doran, her loving husband, Harold (Hal/Buck) E. Harlow, her daughter-in-law Mary Beth Harlow and son-in-law Randy Bennett.

Visitation will be held at Flanner Buchanan – Washington Park East, 10722 E. Washington Street Indianapolis IN 46229, on Wednesday January 4th from 4pm to 8pm. A funeral mass will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 7243 E 10th St, Indianapolis, IN 46219 on Thursday January 5^th at 11am. She will be laid to rest at Washington Park East Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her name to Catholic Charities.