Harlan Grafel

Harlan D. Grafel was born Oct. 17, 1924, in Hitchcock County, Nebraska, to August P. and Mary (Wolfram) Grafel. He died July 20, 2005, from injuries suffered in a car accident.

Harlan graduated from Herndon High School in 1942. He was drafted into the U. S. Army in 1944 and served his country during WW II in Okinawa. After being discharged from the service, Harlan farmed south of Culbertson, NE with his three brothers and worked in the oil field until 1965, when he began a bulk oil, fuel, and fertilizer business in Herndon, KS. He then opened a plumbing shop in Herndon and had been retired the last several years. He and his wife, Norma, had moved into Herndon, but Harlan often went out to the farm to check cattle or spray thistles, and, hopefully, find chokecherries for Norma’s infamous jelly. He was an avid collector of guns and antique wrenches.

Harlan and Norma M. Crocker were married Oct. 25, 1947. They had two children, Richard and Sheila.

Harlan was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Harry, of Trenton, NE and one sister, Grace Dack, of McCook, NE.

Survivors include his wife, Norma, of Herndon, KS; his son, Rich, of rural Oberlin, KS; his daughter, Sheila Marney, and husband, Greg, of Rossville, KS; his brothers: Ray and his wife, Barbara, of rural McCook; Elmore, and wife, Beverley, of rural Culbertson; three sisters: Gladys Crocker of McCook; Beaulah Brown, of Ft. Morgan, CO; Donna Hoxie and husband, Ted, of Lincoln, NE; four grandchildren: Dan Grafel and his wife, Melinda, of rural Oberlin; Greg Grafel and his wife, Amanda, of rural Oberlin; Jayson Wylie of Costilla, NM; and Jennifer Marney, of Topeka, KS; seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial services were held Saturday, July 23rd, at Republican Valley Event Center (Old Elks Building) in McCook, NE.

In lieu of flowers, memorials were to be given to the Herndon City Fire Department.

Carpenter Breland Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

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