James “Dale” Harlow, age 88, of Brownwood, Texas, passed away peacefully in Plano, Texas, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, after a brief illness.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, at Heartland Funeral Home Chapel, with Keith Simpson officiating. Interment will follow in Locker Cemetery. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, at Heartland Funeral Home.
Dale Harlow was born Aug. 26, 1923, in Valley Springs, Texas, and was one of eight children born of the late Charles and Eva Harlow of Llano. He was married to Dorothy Jewel Henry of Mason, Texas, on April 7, 1945, and together they had six children
Dale attended Butler University in Indiana and honorably served as a pilot and aircraft electrician in the U.S. Air Force from August 1945 until March 1947 where he received an Army of Occupation Medal. After leaving the Air Force, Dale and his growing family moved to Richland Springs where he began a long career as a Texas rancher. While living in Richland Springs, Dale served as a respected member of the Richland Springs school board. He also operated a movie theater in downtown Richland Springs where he charged $0.10 for admission. In 1969, Dale moved his family to Brownwood and continued his career in ranching and enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. In his golden years, Dale loved listening to old time country music, taking care of his many animals and enjoying life. There was never a race that he felt he could not win and he spent his entire life searching for the next big venture. He was a member of the Church of Christ.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Eva Harlow; brothers, Nolan, Clinton, M.C., and Edsel Harlow; sister, Berneice Kuykendall; and his granddaughter, Joy Harlow.
Dale is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Dorothy; his beloved children, William L. “Bill” Harlow and wife Ann of Richland Springs, Gary D. Harlow and Eva Vance of San Antonio, James E. Harlow of Stephenville, Nancy K. Harlow of Mesquite, Amy Harlow Morrison and husband Chris of Frisco, Bryan Lee Harlow of The Colony; brothers, Tilmon Harlow and wife Sylvia of Llano and Carlos Harlow and wife Shirley of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and 12 treasured grandchildren, Dena Peters and her husband Wesley, Bethany Seider and her husband Ashley, Michael Harlow, Chad Harlow and his wife Carrie, Jeremy Harlow and his wife Marie, Jocelyn Keeney, Tanner Harlow, Christopher Matthews and his wife Dee, Regan Ricci Makenna and Irelyn Morrison and Madeline Harlow. In addition his great-grandchildren, Gatlin and Guthrie Peters, and Karah Seider, Penny and Bill Harlow, Brinkley and Kamden Harlow, Sierra, Branson and Carson Kenney, Cody, Dylan and Scarlett Matthews and Dax Walker as well as countless other family friends who were blessed to know him.