Harris Hess

Harris Hess, age 90, of Coon Rapids, IA, passed away on Saturday, June 3, 2017 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, June 9, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids with Rev. Joyce Webb officiating. Casket bearers will be Tom Groos, Scott Brus, Joe George, Dave Schroeder, Scott McLaughlin, Bill Johnson, and Reno Doty. Burial will be at Orange Township Cemetery with military honors by the Coon Rapids American Legion. Friends may call at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids after 5:00 P.M. on Thursday where there will be a Masonic Memorial Service held at 7:00 P.M. The casket will be moved to the First United Methodist Church at 9:30 A.M. on Friday where visitation will resume until the time of service. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids and online condolences may be left at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com Born on October 8, 1926, in Bagley, IA, he was the son of Roy Forrest and Cletus (Harris) Hess. He grew up in Bagley, IA, where he graduated from high school in 1944. Growing up, his father was a veterinarian and he went on many calls with him. Following high school, Harris enlisted in the United States Navy and served two years on the destroyer USS Bordelon. Following his honorable discharge from the military in 1946, he attended Drake University in Des Moines. Harris was married to Marjorie Ann Thomas on May 15, 1949 at the home of Charles and Bertha Thomas in Coon Rapids. The couple made their home in Bagley where they owned and operated the Bagley Grocery Store. Harris and Marjorie later moved to Coon Rapids where they raised their two sons Charles and Lynk and he owned the Coon Rapids Locker and later became employed by the Garst and Thomas Seed Company. Harris became involved in banking at Security National Bank in Scranton and Jefferson with the Thomas family, and in the mid 1980’s he acquired the Manilla State Bank. He later opened a location in Denison changing the charter name to The National Bank of Iowa. He then purchased the Farmer’s National Bank in Bayard in 1986. Harris also considered himself a farmer, and managed a great deal of farming operations over the years. He remained an active businessman in the Coon Rapids Community until the time of his death. Harris was a Board Member of Thomas Rest Haven for over 30 years. He revitalized many business and buildings over the years in Coon Rapids including: the United Methodist Church Parsonage, The Coon Rapids Medical Clinic Building, the American Legion Community Building, the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home, Park View Assisted Living, The First National Bank building, the current Coon Rapids Medical Clinic, the Blanchard Building, the Aztec Restaurant, Vickers Gas Station, the Gruber Building, and many other buildings and homes throughout the community. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids, the Coon Rapids American Legion, Coon Rapids Masonic Lodge which later joined with the Carroll Lodge; and he was a Shriner. Some of Harris’ famous quotes were: “There’s a lid for every pot”, “The golden years aren’t so golden”, and “Make sure you have a hobby”. Harris’ true passion in life was aviation earning his pilot’s license in the early 1960’s. This love of flying took he and Marjorie on many great adventures including trips to their home on Ten Mile Lake in Minnesota and their winter home on Lake Chapala near Ajijic, Mexico. He was also an avid art collector and loved collecting art wherever he went, especially in Mexico. Harris is survived by his nieces: Holly Groos (Tom) of Tomkins Cove, NY, Mary Beth Williams (Bob) of Garden City, KS, and Martha Lange of Divide, CO; several great nephews; and many good friends. Harris was preceded in death by his parents: Roy and Cletus Hess; his mother and father-in-law Charles and Bertha Thomas; his brother Frank Hess (Marian); two sons: Charles Roy Hess in 1974 and Lynk Thomas Hess in 1998; and his wife Marjorie in 2013.