Harlan H. Askelsen

Harlan Askelsen, 68, of Clarion passed away Thursday, May 21, 2015 at his home in rural Clarion.

Funeral services for Harlan Askelsen will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at 10:30 AM at First United Methodist Church, 201 3^rd Avenue North East in Clarion with Pastors Grant and Nicole Woodley officiating. Interment will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.

Visitation for Harlan Askelsen will be held on Monday, May 25, 2015 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East in Clarion and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Tuesday.

Harlan was born on March 9, 1947, in Clarion, Iowa, to Howard and Ella Askelsen and resided in Clarion his entire life, attending Clarion elementary, junior high, and high school.  During his early life, Harlan was a busy helper to his father on the farm, spending much time working in the field, handling cattle, and spending time with the colorful hired men his father hired (which also served as the material for many salty stories later in life).  Following high school, Harlan immediately began farming with his father, Howard, and also attended Iowa Central Community College for a time before his father passed away, and Harlan took over the farming operation in 1972.  He also served in the Iowa National Guard for six years.

In November 1968, Harlan married his high school sweetheart, Margaret Moss, with whom he shared the rest of his life.  Harlan and Margaret had six children: five boys and one girl (Erik, Chad, Troy, Kristan, Tayte, and Dane).  Harlan and Margaret made their home in rural Clarion, where they raised their family together “on the farm.”  The Askelsen farm was an active place, with all of the farm work and kids’ sports events, and “Margaret’s schedule” (as Harlan would sometimes refer to it).  Education was important to Harlan.  He supported Margaret when she obtained her bachelors and masters degrees after they had children, and conveyed often to his children the importance of a college degree.  Harlan was a member of the First Lutheran Church in Clarion all of his life.

Harlan spent his entire life as a farmer and could imagine no other vocation.  Early in his farming career, he raised feeder cattle and loved to travel out west by semi to buy calves but the economics changed by the early 1980s and he got out of cattle.  He often referred to the four silos that supported his cattle feeding operation, and served as the marker for the Askelsen farm on County K, as “monuments to stupidity.”  Surviving his bout with cattle, weather disasters in the late 1970s, and the farm crisis of the 1980s, Harlan focused solely on raising crops the remainder of his life and loved immensely the farm equipment he needed (and didn’t need) to support his operation.  His favorite activity was traveling the countryside to discuss and hassle implement dealer sales personnel to research new farm equipment, gathering valuable intelligence to vet with the coffee crew the following morning.  Following as a close second, he loved to take an evening drive, sometimes with his four-legged friend, to check out the crops.  Harlan’s dream was to spend his entire life on the farm, which he accomplished successfully.

Harlan had very few interests outside of farming, other than his family---and wrestling.  He was devoted and proud of his wife, children and seventeen grandchildren.  Given the sheer numbers and activity level of the Askelsen clan, he had little time for much else and spent considerable time traveling the state to see his grandchildren’s events, which is how he liked it.  If he did manage to free up time, it was usually spent watching wrestling—Iowa State wrestling matches, the State Wrestling tournament, and the NCAA wrestling championships were regular events on his annual calendar.  He was not a big traveler, but would enjoy the trips Margaret planned once he was on them, and loved the trips he took to Argentina and Brazil with his lifelong friend to view international agriculture.

Throughout his life, Harlan often displayed a tough exterior, which easily could be seen through by those who knew and loved him.  He was soft and caring and hugged his grandchildren often.  He imparted wisdom and life lessons to his children - often in memorable one-liners - about how to conduct oneself in matters of morality, integrity, and fairness.  And he helped and offered counsel to those in need and would do almost anything for those he cared about.  His family (always interested in psychology because of the many theories their counselor mother discussed in the home) often described Harlan as a unique case study in complex contradiction.  But there was no contradiction in the fact that his family knew he loved them unconditionally.

Harlan is survived by his wife – Margaret; son Erik (Angie) Askelsen and their children, Elise, Celia, Eden, and Ceris; Chad (Sue) Askelsen and their children, Mason, Riley, Payton, Harley, Landon, and Sutton; Troy (Jenny) Askelsen and their children, Megan, Brooke, Adalynn, Blaire; Kristan (Brad) and their children, Sullivan, Karrigan, and Kelsey; Tayte (Taylar); and Dane (significant other, Shelby); sister, Elaine (Nick) Nichols; nieces and nephews; and a host of family, friends, and coffee buddies.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Ella.