HARMON, Dale Edward

HARMON, HOVORKA, HEKL, MISSMAN, SEXTON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/21/2018 at 11:18:02

Obituary ~ Dale Edward Harmon
August 26, 1936 ~ May 28, 2006

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
May 11, 2006

MASON CITY — Dale Edward Harmon, 69, of 25 Slate Court S.E., Mason City, passed away Sunday (May 28, 2006).

Memorial services for Dale E. Harmon will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Donald L. Simmonds and Dr. John Butler officiating. A reception lunch will be held in the Fellowship Hall of First Presbyterian Church after the service with a private family burial to follow [Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, Iowa].

Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, June 2, at Major Erickson Funeral Home in Mason City.

Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to the Dale E. Harmon Scholarship Fund, First Presbyterian Church of Mason City or the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.

Dale was born on Aug. 26, 1936, in Cedar Rapids, the son of Dale L. and Eleanor (Hovorka) Harmon. He graduated from Franklin High School in 1954 and earned his bachelor of arts degree from Coe College in 1959. In 1969, he earned his master of arts in English from the University of Northern Iowa.

Dale was united in marriage to Shirley Ann Hekl on Aug. 24, 1957, in Cedar Rapids. Dale and Shirley were blessed with a son, Matthew Blake Harmon, in 1969 and a daughter, Shannon Lee Harmon, in 1972.

Dale began his teaching career of 46 years in 1959 at Washington High School in Vinton, Iowa. He also taught at Marshalltown High School, Mason City High School, Estes Park High School in Colorado and then returned to Mason City High School. After his retirement in 1995, he taught part-time at Hamilton Business College and Newman Catholic High School of Mason City. Dale also taught various courses for the University of Iowa, Upper Iowa University and North Iowa Area Community College.

He created world literature courses for Vinton, Marshalltown, Estes Park and Mason City High School. After retirement, Dale created an advanced placement English course for Newman Catholic High School. Nine of his Mason City High School creative writing students were awarded the prestigious Iowa Council of Teachers of English award for writing. He was invited to Washington, D.C., where his student, Lawrence Pelo, received the Presidential Scholarship Award, the nation’s highest award for graduating seniors.

As a member of First Presbyterian Church, he was an elder, Sunday school teacher, and enjoyed working with the young people of several confirmation classes. He was a longtime volunteer announcer for KCMR radio station. He enjoyed reading and creative writing, various sports and cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes, Mason City Mohawks and the Newman Knights. In Cedar Rapids, he won three first place awards in short story writing competitions. He was especially proud of creating the Mason City High School Alumni Award Program and writing the Mason City High School alma mater lyrics. Dale was a lifetime member of the National Education Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Iowa council of Teachers of English, Phi Delta Kappa, and Pi Delta Epsilon National Honorary Journalism Fraternity.

Dale will be greatly missed by his wife of 48 years, Shirley, of Mason City, his son, Matthew, and daughter-in-law, Tamara, of Clive; daughter, Shannon, of Des Moines; and grandchildren, Nicholas and Ashley; his brother, Harris J. Harmon, and sister-in-law, Patti Harmon, of Silvis, Ill.; step-brother, Jeffrey Missman and Kathy Missman of Kansas City, Kan.; step-sister, Melinda Missman, of Rock Island, Ill.; and special freinds, Jennifer, Alexis and Peyton Sexton of Nora Springs.

He was preceded in death by his father, Dale L. Harmon; mother and step-father, Eleanor and Clifford Missman.

Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, (641) 423

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2018