Gaylon Lee Harbaugh was born June 28, 1938, at his maternal grandmother’s home in Paton, to Merritt Paul and Elma Juanita Gliem Harbaugh.
During World War II, the family lived in Oklahoma, where Gaylon’s father built airplane runways. Gaylon started elementary school in Oklahoma.
The family moved to Farlin in 1945 when Gaylon’s grandfather, LeRoy Harbaugh, died. They farmed LeRoy’s farm and Gaylon rode his pony to country school, Bristol #6, west of Farlin, and later attended school in Jefferson. The family moved to a farm near Webster City in 1952 and Gaylon graduated from Webster City High School in 1957. He farmed with his father until his death in 1961 and then continued farming and serving in the National Guard. In 1969, Gaylon and his mother moved to Jefferson and Gaylon drove Star Route mail routes.
Gaylon was united in marriage in 1973 to Janice Kuehl of Herndon, at the First Baptist Church in Jefferson. They lived in Altoona until 1991, when they moved to an acreage near Mitchellville. Gaylon enjoyed their little farm with a large garden, sheep, a mule, and a donkey.
The couple retired to Jefferson in 2009. Gaylon spent his later years visiting with family in Jefferson, driving his pickup truck, reading about the Civil War, reminiscing about motorcycle trips in earlier years, and remembering boyhood times in Greene County.
He died Sept. 1, 2021, in Jefferson.
Preceding him in death were his parents, a baby brother, and his brother Jack.
Surviving is his wife Janice; brother Gary Harbaugh of Jefferson, and sister Linda Cormaney of Webster City.
Many nieces and nephews are left to remember Gaylon: Mike (Tawnya) Harbaugh, Chris (Jeri) Harbaugh, Carrie (Gary) Carstensen, and Kelley McCane, all of Jefferson, Shelley (Ryan) VanDerMeide of Chanhassen, MN, Sara Cormaney of Webster City, Emily (Kevin) Drane of York, IL, Ashleigh (Dan) Woodford of Ankeny Nicholas Dinkel of Minneapolis, MN, Kasey (Cory) Jacobs of Yvette, Jeremy (Rachel) Kuehl of Jefferson, Aaron Kuehl of Boone, and Autumn Kuehl of Boston, MA; and many grand-nephews and nieces and other relatives and friends.
No services are planned at this time.
The family is assisted by Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home of Jefferson, 515-386-2171.
