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Bruce Edward Harland, 74, of Marshalltown, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 11, 2019, at the VA Hospital in Des Moines, IA. Private family services, with military rites, will be held on a later spring, sunny day, at the Iowa Military Cemetery, in Van Meter, IA.
Bruce was born on June 29, 1944, to the parents of Ervin and Velma (Seberg, Clemens, Odegarrd) Harland in Marshalltown, IA. He graduated from Marshalltown High School with the class of 1962. Bruce served his country honorably by enlisting in the United States Air Force that year and continued to serve for almost a total of 34 years, 2 ¢ years in Germany out of his first 4 years, while the remaining years were spent with the 132nd Fighter Wing out of Des Moines, Civil Service IA Air National Guard; he worked in electronics, aviation and the command post. He served in many locations: Biloxi, MS., Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, Texas, South Carolina, England, Panama and Saudi Arabia; going many times to each place. After his return from Germany he met and married Bonita Severidt, the first girl he saw when he got off the bus in Marshalltown, November 25, 1967. They made their home on Twinkle Hill Road for 49 years, they just recently moved to the family farm on 1943 Zeller Ave. Bruce was a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society graduate from DMACC college with a Business Administration Degree. He worked for Homeland Security, as a Contract Federal Investigator after retiring from the military. He said of himself once, “Talking to the Pentagon and White House was just a normal day at work.” He knew what hard work and dedication to a job meant.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 51 years, Bonita, their children; Amanda (Kevin) Lovig, Des Moines, IA, Travis (Lis) Harland, Overland Park, KS, Ethan (Ashley) Harland, Des Moines, IA. Grandchildren: Whitley (Lovig) (Andrew) Davidson, Hannah Lovig, Eric Idy, Stella Forster, Eli Harland Leo Harland, Ahnika Harland, Claire Harland and Josiah Harland. Great-grandsons: Jacob and William Davidson. Sister Conne (Joe) Gates; brothers: John (Erica) Clemens, Mike (Mary) Clemens, Bob Harland; sister-in-law Arlene Severidt.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents Erv and Velma Harland; his Brother James (Jim) Harland; his sister-in-law Lyn Harland.
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Jane Middleton
Only sweet memories of Bruce.
Richard Stanley
So very sorry that we have lost Bruce Harland. In high school he did the filming for boys' basketball games, both home and away that we watched the Mondays after we played on the weekends. I never could convince him that he should do some strategic "editing" of that old 16mm film. You know the whirring, clicking socket noise sounds we heard with film back then. I wanted only my few and far between good plays and shots preserved for posterity, and my oh so many stupid, too numerous fouls, turnovers, and lapses in not correctly blocking out on rebounds to just disappear. He would give me his knowing and winning smile and tolerated my tiresome, corny sense of "humor", but , alas, did NOT accommodate my requests, of course...Oh, well.... I tried.
What a full, honorable life of service Bruce accomplished. And, what a perfect spousal match he had in Bonita.