Obituary

Kervyn Lawrence Harned
February 15, 1931 - October 1, 2020

Kervyn L. Harned passed on October 1, 2020, at his home in Pendleton, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on Feb. 15, 1931, in Baker, Oregon, to Lawrence Wayne Harned and Vesta Lenore (Gibbs) Harned.

He grew up on his family farm on Wolf Creek, 7 miles from North Powder, Oregon. He learned all aspects of farming and ranching from his father. While in his teens, he and his father spent one summer manning the fire lookout and fighting fires above what is now Anthony Lakes Ski Area. He also took a job in the kitchen at Anthony Lakes assisting the Swedish cook and ski expert, who taught him to ski.

Kervyn’s mother taught him many things about life and parenting, as well as a love for music, as she both sang and played piano beautifully. He played alto saxophone in high school, but also picked up both piano from his mom, and fiddle from his uncle. The three of them played in a dance band together. He also played his sax in the Air Force Band in one of the many bands from around the world that played for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Naturally mechanical, Kervyn loved cars, machines, fixing things and building. When he was 16, he wired his family home using a guidebook from Sears! In 1976, he did much of the work to build his young family a new home. His formal education began at Muddy Creek, a one-room schoolhouse. He completed primary and secondary school in North Powder, Oregon, graduating in 1950.

Kervyn worked locally until entering the Air Force in August of 1951 to serve for four years. Basic training was at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He received specialized training in flight instruments at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Baltimore, Maryland. He served at joint British Royal Air Force/U.S. Air Force Burtonwood Base, outside Warrington, England, for 18 months as a flight instruments technician. Stateside, he was stationed at Sampson Air Force Base, New York. Upon request, in his off-duty hours, he served the state of New York as an auxiliary patrolman on the new expressway. He received his honorable discharge from the Air Force on Aug. 14, 1955.

Returning to the Northwest, Kervyn worked for Georgia Pacific Board Mill in Pilot Rock as a double trimmer operator for five years until he married. In Pilot Rock he lived with Claude and Bertha Smith, and their children, who became a second family to him.

On Sept. 26, 1960, Kervyn married Margaret Ann Ransier. He worked the large Ransier wheat ranch near Echo for 10 years, where they had two daughters. Upon moving his family to Pendleton, he worked for John Deere for a year and was then hired by the state of Oregon. He worked for the maintenance department at the Eastern Oregon State Hospital for many years, going to night school at BMCC to receive his certification in sheet metal fabrication.
During the transition to EOCI, he was foreman of the demolition team. He then continued rising within their maintenance department to retire as maintenance supervisor for the physical plant in December of 1992, having worked for the state for 22 years. He continued to work some after retirement and one co-worker called him the strongest man he had ever known.
Kervyn was very involved in his community through the Masons, Job’s Daughters and the Shriners. He was raised to a 32nd degree Mason through the Scottish Rite order, in which he was very active with degree work for many years.

He was a past master of the Masonic Lodge No. 40 in Echo, Oregon, twice, as well as being a past master of the Pendleton Masonic Lodge No. 52. He was also district deputy of the Blue Lodge for several years. He joined his wife in Eastern Star for a time before her work with the Daughters of the Nile. Kervyn served in Job’s Daughters Bethel No. 12 as associate Bethel guardian several terms, where both daughters ultimately served as honored queens. He was also voted to serve as the Oregon grand associate Bethel guardian for Job’s Daughters at state. He was much beloved by the “Jobies” girls, and these 12 years working with them were some of his fondest memories.

Because of his many years of exemplary service, the Scottish Rite’s honorary 33rd Degree was bestowed upon Kervyn, for major contributions to Masonry and his community. He also joined the Shrine and worked many years with this philanthropic order to assist the many Shriners Hospitals for Children all over the world.
Kervyn is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, and favorite dance partner, Margaret Ann. Also, LeAnne Kay and Rod Gene Petrone and LaRene Dee Harned-Suarez and Victor Raul Suarez Jr., grandson Draellan Nesta Harned-Suarez and granddaughters Zoey Amalia (Petrone) Barton and Julia Victoria Petrone, and son-in-law Corey Daniel Barton. He taught his daughters and grandchildren many skills and values, including integrity, service, his love of the outdoors, how to build a fire and how to fish, just to name a few.

In honor of Kervyn’s life of service, donations may be made in his name to Shriners Hospital for Children, a nonprofit organization that provides life saving surgeries and care for children at no cost.

A memorial will be announced and held, when all can attend safely, at the First Presbyterian Church in Pendleton.