Harper, Lowell James (1931 - 2020)

HARPER, BUCK, YOCKEY, USHER, MOHR, SCOTT, LIKELY, LACKORE, HEDRICK, PARSONS, BARNARD

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 3/16/2020 at 12:44:04

Name of deceased: Lowell James Harper

Aged: 88 yrs, 4 mo, 27 days

Residence: Harlan, Shelby County, IA

Born: Sep. 21, 1931; Ames, Story County, IA

Died: Feb. 17, 2020; Elm Crest Retirement Community, Harlan, Shelby County, IA

Funeral services: Monday, March 2, 2020; United Methodist Church, Harlan, IA; burial to be at a later date at the Ames Cemetery, Ames, IA

Survived by: Wife of 66 years, Marcia Harper of Harlan, IA; children, Beth (spouse, Ron) Buck of Harlan, IA, Steve (spouse, Vicki) Harper of Rockwell City, IA, Nancy Yockey of Carroll, IA, Marti Usher of Harlan, IA, Mary Jane (spouse, Jeff) Mohr of Council Bluffs, IA, and Karen (spouse, Jeff) Scott of South Lyon, MI; 12 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; siblings, Dorothy Likely of St. Louis, MO, Joe Harper of Nevada, IA, Mary Lackore of Goshen, IN, and Karel (spouse, Jerry) Hedrick of Fairfield, CA; nieces; nephew; other family members and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, Harlan and Joan (nee Parsons) Harper; brothers, Dix Harper, Harlan Harper, Jr., and Roger Harper; son-in-law, Dennis Usher

Education: Attended grade and middle school at Milford (IA) School and graduated from Ames (IA) High School eith the Class of 1949; he then attended Iowa State University and was in the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. He completed his degree in Animal Husbandry at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO.

Religious affiliation: Baptized and confirmed at First United Methodist Church, Ames, IA; member, Harlan First United Methodist Church for 52 years; he was a member of the choir, taught Sunday school and served on many committees. When he was 77, he studied and became a Stephen’s Minister where he counseled many church members in ministry.

Military service: no information provided

Marriage: Marcia Elaine Barnard; March 14, 1953; Ames, IA

Employment: Worked as a hog herdsman for many farms in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois; was also a hog buyer for Rath Packing Plant in Waterloo, IA, and a purebred hog breeder while living near Memphis, MO. He then became an insurance salesman for American Republic Insurance Company and served many locations in Arkansas and Missouri. In 1968, Lowell moved his family to Harlan, IA and he sold feed for Walnut Grove Feeds in Cass, Audubon and Shelby Counties. They next moved to Jacksonville, IA, where they lived for 43 years; in 1986, he purchased the Pure Bred Genetics Swine Test Station in Ida Grove, IA and operated it until 2000. They moved to Harlan, IA in 2011 when he finally retired.

Hobbies/Interests: Member, Shelby County Pork Producers and of the Iowa Duroc Assn; volunteered with Habitat for Humanity; member, Kiwanis Golden K Club; he organized a men’s choir group at Elm Crest Retirement Community in Harlan.

Sources: harlanonline.com; kjan.com; pauleyjones.com