Obituary of Harold Edward Thorne

    Harold Edward “Hap” Thorne, son of John Robert “Bob” and Dollie (Lorenzen) Thorne, was born August 4, 1933, on a farm near Moneta, Iowa in Lone Tree township.

    He spent his youth in the Moneta area where he received his education, graduating from Moneta High School with the class of 1951.

    On May 28, 1953, Hap was united in marriage to Charlotte Lavonne Fliss at Jackson, Minnesota. In June of the same year, he began serving his country with the United States Army being stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He and Charlotte lived there for one year before Hap’s tour of duty took him to Japan in 1954; their first child, Susan had just been born. Following his honorable discharge on May 6, 1955, he and Charlotte returned to Iowa and began farming south of Lake Park. In 1959, they relocated to a farm south of Moneta, and called it “home” for the remainder of their married lives; four children would complete their family: Susan, Steven, Denise, and Michael.

    Throughout his agricultural career, Hap had raised cattle and hogs as well as row crops of corn and soybeans. Along with his farming operation, he also managed a Caterpillar bulldozing business with his dad, J.R. Thorne, until 1983.

    Hap had given back to his community by serving on the boards of the Everly Community School and the Royal Telephone Company from 1982 until 2015. He belonged to the American Legion Post at Everly, Iowa and had also been a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church in Everly. In his spare time, he enjoyed being out on the golf course or using his woodworking skills crafting special pieces for family and friends.

    On Friday, November 10, 2023, Hap was once again joined with loved ones who had gone before; he was 90 years of age. Preceding him were his wife, Charlotte (2021), his parents, Bob and Dollie Thorne; brothers: Bernard Thorne   and Herbert Thorne; his sisters and husbands: Helen (Don) Baumeister and Marjorie (Darrell) Scharnberg.

    Left to cherish his memory are his children: Susan (James) Williams of Racine Wisconsin, Steven Thorne of Hartley, Iowa, Denise (Dave) Morrissey of Urbandale, Iowa, and Michael Thorne of Hartley, Iowa; nine grandchildren: Melissa (Nick) Helt, Danielle (Luke) Kosterman, Whitney (Scott) Engelke, Lisa (Erik) Smith, Racheal (Nate) Westhoff, Alex (Larissa) Thorne, Sara Morrissey, Eric Thorne, and Kaitlyn Williams; 17 great-grandchildren: Killian, Elaine, and  Grayson Helt, Cole and Zachery Kosterman, Brooklyn, Kyle, and Wyatt Smith, Ethan Thorne and Elowyn and Everett Engelke, Connor, Collin, and Anna Westhoff, Anthony and  Hannah Thorne, and Harvey Yang; one sister-in-law, Arleen Thorne of Alva, Oklahoma; other relatives and many friends.