Barbara Ann (Burger) Harms went to be with her Lord and Savior on April 2, 2017. She was born on May 29, 1931 in Harley, Iowa. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at 11:00 am at United Methodist Church in Sun Lakes, Arizona. She was baptized at a Lutheran Church in Belgrade, Minnesota, confirmed at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly, Iowa, where her grandfather had served as a pastor. Graduated high school in 1949 in Everly, Iowa and completed her education at Mankato Business College, Mankato, Minnesota in 1950. She married Jack E. Harms on April 12, 1950 at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly, Iowa. She was a Cub Scout Den Mother, served on the Lutheran Church board where she also taught Sunday School. She was employed through the years at Arnold Motor Supply in Spencer, Iowa, Harms Implement Co. and Honeybee Company both of Everly and managed a gift shop in the Okoboji resort area. She was a member of the Everly Kitchen Band which served and entertained in North West Iowa for over 25 years. The couple had two children, Douglas Allen Harms, born May 22, 1951 and passed on January 15, 1992 and Deanne Jeanette (Miller) Harms born September 9, 1954. She has four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Barbara's parents were Kenneth Henry Burger and Charlotte (Seitzinger) Burger. She has three sisters, Virginia (John) Norman, Margaret Cromer and Marlene Wilharm.
At the time Jack and Barb reached 50 years of age, they adopted a life style that was filled with distance running events, 5K and 10K runs, half and full marathons in which they participated in several states and did many organized bicycle rides such as RAGBRIA (a ride across Iowa in 7 days, in which they participated 13 years). They did the Gran Canyon hike twice and did many mountain hikes on trails surrounding the Phoenix, Arizona area. Barb won gold medals in the Arizona Senior Olympics in 1999 and 2000. During these years they were blessed with the arrival of four grandchildren, Bronk Harms (1979), Wes Miller (1980), Justin Miller (1981) and Meagan Harms (1982).
The nine great grandchildren are Jackson Miller (2009) and Luke Miller (2015) (Wes and Abbie Miller); Saylor Miller (2010) and Bellamy Miller (2014) (Justin and Aubrie Miller); Henry Harms (2010) and Willa Harms (2012) (Bronk and Jessica Harms), triplets Haley, Caroline and Ella Flajser (2011) (Meagan and James Flajser).
For Barb and husband Jack retirement came in 1994 and they enjoyed winter time motor home life while traveling the southern regions of the United States. In 1997 they purchased a winter home in Sun Lakes, Arizona and continued to maintain a summer home on the lake in Iowa. In 2014 they sold their lake home and opted for full time Arizona residency.
Arrangements under the direction of Valley of the Sun Mortuary & Cemetery, Chandler, AZ.
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