By Andrea McBride
Staff Writer
KINGSTON — Dozens of friends and family filled the Kingston Times Bar and Restaurant on Saturday to celebrate the life of one of its owners who kept the business thriving for 39 years.
Barbara Harp, who passed away Jan. 16 after battling cancer, will be remembered in several ways, but her giving spirit stands out to most who knew her.
Family friend Bryan Eldridge said he formed a strong relationship with Harp over the years from befriending her husband Jim and coming to the bar.
“Like a mom, she was always there,” Eldridge said. “Anything I asked, she’d give me.”
Linda Haebler, who was employed at the bar for 13 and a half years, said Harp had a bubbly personality. She sees constant reminders of her past employer and friend.
“She’s so goodhearted,” Haebler said. “I look around the house and I see all the stuff that she bought me over all the years I worked for her.”
Harp kept the books, made schedules, ordered supplies and did everything necessary to ensure that the business ran smoothly.
She wasn’t all business, though. Longtime friend Leah Pabst said Harp got to know everyone she met and also encouraged people to try new things. Owning the bar gave her the opportunity to reach several individuals.
“It’s not about just having a bar or some place where you can have a drink. It’s the camaraderie … that’s what it is. It’s getting people together. She loved people,” Pabst said.
Harp is known for starting up a festival called Light up the Town, which has grown and is now known as Kingston Days.
Although Harp’s kind soul was evident, Pabst said she also practiced tough love and kept her loved ones in check.
“She could be feisty,” Pabst said. “She could be a little pistol at times.”
Harp carried on with business until her last days and never focused on herself in spite of her illness. Instead, she occupied her time with ensuring that those around her were happy.
“It was not about her,” Pabst said. “It was about other people and her family.”