In this chilly month of February we focus on love and the celebration of Valentine’s Day, we introduce a team whose tale is sure to warm your hearts and uplift your spirits. Meet Maura and Harri Klingen. Maura has been a long time resident of Oxford, making this her home since the early 1960s. Sweet Harri came to live with Maura and her late husband Ted, in 2009, when a dear friend decided she could no longer care for her. After “babysitting” Harri AKA Harriet in the fall of that same year, the decision was easy and Harri never looked back!
Sweethearts Maura and Ted met at St. Louis University in Missouri in January of 1958. Ted knew right away that Maura was the one and proposed just months after meeting her. They had similar interests and both studied in the sciences, with a focus on chemistry and physics. The couple married later that year on September 1, 1958. What a match made in heaven! From 1958-1962, Maura worked at the physics department at Florida State and studied the momentum of ions and then transferred to the biochemistry department where she studied bacteria and small particles, while Ted studied atomic research. Eventually, their work moved them to Oxford at the University of Mississippi where Ted was a professor of chemistry, and Maura earned her master’s in library sciences. She worked part-time while raising their two children Anne and Joe. Anne still resides in Oxford, while Joe and his family live in Houston, Texas.
Both Maura and Ted were very involved at St. John’s Catholic Church where Ted became a deacon. Maura lost her beloved Ted on December 15, 2018 and he remains in her heart forever. She thanks God everyday for the steadfast companionship of Harri, in her life!
Harri always kept them on their toes as she was quite the escape artist in her younger years. Her last excursion was the day before Thanksgiving a few years ago when she liberated herself to take a dip in the neighbor’s pool! She’s not so keen on trying to get out anymore. As much as Harri liked to escape and go on adventures, she isn’t a big fan of traveling like her family. She prefers to stay behind when it comes to vacation time, such as recently when Maura and her daughter, Anne, took a holiday Caribbean cruise. Harri loves to walk with her mom many times a day, and is particularly fond of their morning walking routine when there are scant other dogs around to disturb her tranquility. When she gets home she brings out all of her toys and plays fetch aka: hall-ball down her long hallway. Her favorite toys are two pink lamb “twins” and her squeaky discs! She knows when it’s treat time and lets mom know when the afternoon ritual is to begin.Girlfriend loves a good belly rub and gets them all day every day on demand!
The family prefers Harri’s evening entertainment to be conducted by Homeward Bound. Both Harri and Maura enjoy the nightly visits and company of their pet nanny friends. They revel in old tales of time spent in Oxford and of missed loved ones. Each night Harri’s friends come to visit, give her walks, and special playtime. She loves fetch with her favorite babies, butterfly kisses, belly rubs, and to be the center of attention with anyone who walks through the door. Maura lives by the notion of accepting whatever comes her way and not planning too far ahead! Life here has always been kind to her and she appreciates all the friendships she’s made in this amicable, relaxing town we all call home.