Harlan Lusher

  Harlan Cleo Lusher, 81, of Clarkdale, AZ, passed away on December 13, 2019 at Valley View Care in Cottonwood, AZ. He was born March 12, 1938 in Delavan to Bob and Mildred Oldham Lusher. Surviving are his wife of 59 years, Helen; his sons, Rick (Pam) of Albuquerque, NM, Rodney (Rebecca) of Lawton, OK; daughter, Tracy (Wesley) of Chino Valley, AZ; sisters, Roberta (Al) Londerville and Esther (John) Holloway both of Hopedale and Lois (Jack) Thompson of Bartonville; six granddaughters, Rachel, Renee, Lauryn, Heather, Ashley and Lindsay. In his elementary years, he attended a one room school. Later he attended and graduated from the Hopedale High School. In his youth he worked on neighboring farms bailing hay, detasseling corn, plowing fields, and whatever else a farmer needed done. Right after graduating from high school he was hired at Pioneer Seed Corn in Morton; from there he went to Caterpillar Tractor Company and then to R. G. LeTourneau in Peoria where he learned the machinist trade. In the 1960 he married Helen Risinger. After being married a few years, they decided to adventure and move out west. First, they settled in Prescott, AZ. Where he worked for a small machine shop. Later they moved to Ventura, CA. Harlan worked as a machinist for a company that made commercial oil well pumps and equipment. It was here that he became an accomplished machinist by doing all kinds of metal work. They returned to Arizona where Harlan was employed by the Phoenix Cement Company as a machinist, later he became a mechanic for their heavy equipment. While working for the cement plant he created several tools for difficult jobs. He was gifted in seeing what it would take to create a tool for a particular job. He loved tool design and working with metal. At home he had a shop in his backyard. He did many jobs for neighbors or for anyone who needed repair work done or a part made. Also, he repaired and made parts for bicycles, scooters, go-carts, skateboards or whatever the neighborhood kids needed. For his granddaughters he made them glider swings out of maple for their American Girl Dolls. One other thing that was important to him was teaching his children and grandchildren safety of shooting. He sat up targets in the backyard for them to practice. It pleased him to watch how their skills would increase. Harlan was a family man who enjoyed hiking, riding motorcycles, hunting and camping. He and his family spent many summers in Colorado doing all those things. He especially liked taking his dirt bike on the challenging trails with Helen sitting on the back hanging on for her dear life. Harlan and his family are members of Verde Baptist Church in Cottonwood, AZ. Harlan was active in the youth program where he served on the church board and served as a deacon. We as a family will miss him, however God must have needed a machinist. His funeral will be at 11:00 am Friday, December 20, 2019 at Tremont Baptist Church. Pastor Noah Lee will officiate. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery in Tremont. Davis-Oswald Funeral Home in Tremont is handling the arrangements.

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