Carl Bennett Harms Sturgis, South Dakota Obituary

Carl Bennett Harms

Carl B. Harms was born in Owen, WI to Fern and Mary (Detrick) Harms on January 2, 1930, the youngest of six children. His family has a tradition of military service, with his father serving in WWI and two brothers serving in WWII. He left high school early and joined the Army a short time later in November of 1947, requiring his dad to sign for him to enlist. Shortly after entering, he earned his GED. He spent 15 years in the Army at several duty stations before his discharge in November of 1962. After his discharge, he returned to Wisconsin and began driving a bulk milk truck. His main reason for leaving the Army was to pursue the love of his life. Mary had married while Carl was serving in the Army, but when her husband died suddenly, Carl followed his heart back to her. They married on June 14, 1963. In addition to her three children, they had three together. Carl became a contract mail carrier shortly after they were married and delivered mail for 40 years before retiring in 2004. He took a little break, enjoying traveling to see children and grandchildren, before picking up a side job driving a shuttle for Holiday Inn Express from 2010 to 2018. He so enjoyed talking with all the guests from around the country as he took them to downtown Sturgis and up to Deadwood. He even would fold some towels when the shuttle was slower. Two of their sons have kept the military tradition alive by serving in the Air Force and Army, as well as three of the grandsons, one in the Air Force and two in the Army. Carl and Mary enjoyed 26 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Carl enjoyed bowling, bowling at least 10 games a week all the way up to the end of the 2019/2020 season. Although he thoroughly enjoyed bowling anytime, his favorite time became bowling with the seniors on Monday morning and, of course, Tuesday night on the Key City Classic league when he bowled with his son, Joshua, and grandson, Gabriel. They won the league this last season. He also enjoyed bowling tournaments where there were several highlights. He got to bowl at the USBC National Tournament with two sons and a grandson, and most recently, Carl and Max bowled in the South Dakota Senior Tournament in the Fall of 2019, where Carl bowled a 255 his last game of six to win his division of the tournament. Carl was a member of LifeSpring Wesleyan Church (First Wesleyan Church) for 57 years. If you knew Carl well, you knew there were four things that were important to him in his life: Mary was his world and he loved doing life with her and the children; he was a hardworking man, and enjoyed delivering the mail and then driving the shuttle; he loved to bowl; and beyond those three and foremost, he loved Jesus with all his heart, and it was evident in the way he would serve and take care of those around him. Carl Bennett Harms, 90, of Sturgis, died Thursday, September 3, 2020 at the Fort Meade Veterans Administration Hospital. Carl is survived by his spouse, Mary E. (Stuve) Harms, Sturgis, SD; his sons, William H. (Kathy) Potts, Sturgis, SD, Max D. (Karlin) Harms, Sturgis, SD, and Joshua C. (Doris) Harms, Box Elder, SD; his daughters, Janeen M. (Mark) Wheeler, Troy, MO, MaryBeth (Tim) Baldwin, Spearfish, SD, and Rebecca S. Meisenheimer, Hartington, NE; sisters, Harriet Frey, Abbottsford, WI, and Maxine Frey, Medford, WI; twenty-six grandchildren; and nineteen great-grandchildren. Carl is preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; one sister; one grandson, John W. Potts; and one son-in-law, David Meisenheimer. Memorial services will be 1:00 p.m. on Monday, September 7, 2020, at LifeSpring Wesleyan Church in Sturgis with Pastor Matt Shulaw officiating. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants” Psalm 116:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8
January 2, 1930 - September 3, 202001/02/193009/03/2020
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Obituary

Carl B. Harms was born in Owen, WI to Fern and Mary (Detrick) Harms on January 2, 1930, the youngest of six children. His family has a tradition of military service, with his father serving in WWI and two brothers serving in WWII. He left high school early and joined the Army a short time later in November of 1947, requiring his dad to sign for him to enlist. Shortly after entering, he earned his GED. He spent 15 years in the Army at several duty stations before his discharge in November of 1962. After his discharge, he returned to Wisconsin and began driving a bulk milk truck. His main reason for leaving the Army was to pursue the love of his life. Mary had married while Carl was serving in the Army, but when her husband died suddenly, Carl followed his heart back to her. They married on June 14, 1963. In addition to her three children, they had three together. Carl became a contract mail carrier shortly after they were married and delivered mail for 40 years before retiring in 2004. He took a little break, enjoying traveling to see children and grandchildren, before picking up a side job driving a shuttle for Holiday Inn Express from 2010 to 2018. He so enjoyed talking with all the guests from around the country as he took them to downtown Sturgis and up to Deadwood. He even would fold some towels when the shuttle was slower. Two of their sons have kept the military tradition alive by serving in the Air Force and Army, as well as three of the grandsons, one in the Air Force and two in the Army. Carl and Mary enjoyed 26 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Carl enjoyed bowling, bowling at least 10 games a week all the way up to the end of the 2019/2020 season. Although he thoroughly enjoyed bowling anytime, his favorite time became bowling with the seniors on Monday morning and, of course, Tuesday night on the Key City Classic league when he bowled with his son, Joshua, and grandson, Gabriel. They won the league this last season. He also enjoyed bowling tournaments where there were several highlights. He got to bowl at the USBC National Tournament with two sons and a grandson, and most recently, Carl and Max bowled in the South Dakota Senior Tournament in the Fall of 2019, where Carl bowled a 255 his last game of six to win his division of the tournament. Carl was a member of LifeSpring Wesleyan Church (First Wesleyan Church) for 57 years. If you knew Carl well, you knew there were four things that were important to him in his life: Mary was his world and he loved doing life with her and the children; he was a hardworking man, and enjoyed delivering the mail and then driving the shuttle; he loved to bowl; and beyond those three and foremost, he loved Jesus with all his heart, and it was evident in the way he would serve and take care of those around him. Carl Bennett Harms, 90, of Sturgis, died Thursday, September 3, 2020 at the Fort Meade Veterans Administration Hospital. Carl is survived by his spouse, Mary E. (Stuve) Harms, Sturgis, SD; his sons, William H. (Kathy) Potts, Sturgis, SD, Max D. (Karlin) Harms, Sturgis, SD, and Joshua C. (Doris) Harms, Box Elder, SD; his daughters, Janeen M. (Mark) Wheeler, Troy, MO, MaryBeth (Tim) Baldwin, Spearfish, SD, and Rebecca S. Meisenheimer, Hartington, NE; sisters, Harriet Frey, Abbottsford, WI, and Maxine Frey, Medford, WI; twenty-six grandchildren; and nineteen great-grandchildren. Carl is preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; one sister; one grandson, John W. Potts; and one son-in-law, David Meisenheimer. Memorial services will be 1:00 p.m. on Monday, September 7, 2020, at LifeSpring Wesleyan Church in Sturgis with Pastor Matt Shulaw officiating. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants” Psalm 116:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8

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Events

Sep
07
Service
Monday, September 07 2020
01:00 PM
LifeSpring Wesleyan Church
1638 Junction Avenue
Sturgis, SD 57785
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