Harriet Pennekamp

Harriet Pennekamp, age 87, formerly of Oakland, California, died Monday, May 14, 2018 at Evergreen in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. She was born September 5, 1930, the daughter of Gerhard and Verona (Quandt) Mueller. Harriet and her foster sister Marion were raised in Mayville, Wisconsin, graduating from MHS in 1948. Harriet received her Bachelor of Music degree in music teaching from St. Olaf College in 1952. She moved to Oakland, California that year to teach music at Lutheran schools in the Bay Area. She was a principal and teacher of Grace Lutheran School in Hayward, CA from 1967 to 1972, and of Redeemer Lutheran School in Oakland, CA from 1972-1985.Harriet married Rev. Victor Pennekamp, retired USAF chaplain, in 1973. He preceded her in death in 1989. From 1958 to 2002 Harriet was the organist and a choir director of Grand Lake/ Resurrection Lutheran Church, Oakland. It was from her work with children in an after-school study program at Resurrection that she developed an after-school music program that received community recognition for the success of the students in music and their studies.Harriet also gave Suzuki method violin and piano lessons for many years in the home and studio in Montclair Village that she shared with Clarice Leite. Ill health sent them in separate directions, Clarice to her family in Arizona, and Harriet to her family in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.Harriet is survived by members of the Mueller, Quandt, Moellering, and Pennekamp families, her many friends and students from the East Bay Area music community, and friends and students of Resurrection Lutheran Church, Oakland. Memorials may be directed to Resurrection Lutheran Church, 397 Euclid Ave., Oakland.A memorial service for Harriet will take place on Tuesday, May 22, at 11 a.m. at St. John Ev. Lutheran Church in Mayville with the Rev. Bruce Zagel officiating. A visitation will take place on Tuesday, May 22 from 10 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m. at the church in Mayville. Inurnment will take place at St. John Cemetery in Mayville.