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Harrison Harner, 22

Harrison Grant Harner, 22 years, of Fremont, NE died Saturday, July 16, 2016, in Fremont. Harrison was born November 21, 1993, in Lincoln, NE to Monte Harner and Dena (Tucker) Harner. He lived at Hickman, Ogallala, Arlington, and Fremont, NE.

Harrison was a 2013 graduate of Arlington High School, where he participated in football, baseball, wrestling and golf. He attended Midland University in Fremont and Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. He had been a member of the Fremont High Trap Team, Midland University Trap Team and Fort Hays State Trap Team. Harrison was employed at Midwest Manufacturing.

He is survived by the love of his life, Allison Miller, of Fremont; mother, Dena (Steve Scheitt) Harner, of Lincoln; father, Monte (Kandi) Harner, of Fremont; brothers, Jeffrey Harner, of Fremont, Hunter Stafford, Layne Stafford, Noah Stafford and Tyler Scheitt; grandparents, Jennifer (Bob) Dobbins, of Grand Island, NE, H. Grant (Sheri) Harner, of Clyde, KS and Diane Tucker, of Lake Orion, MI; and many aunts, uncles and friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather, James Tucker.

Celebration of life, 3:30 PM, Thursday, July 21, 2016 at the Arlington City Auditorium in Arlington, NE. Judge Ken Vampola will officiate. Visitation with family receiving friends on Thursday from 1 PM to 3 PM at the Arlington City Auditorium. Family requests casual attire be worn. Memorials may be directed to the family for a designation yet to be determined.

Online condolences at www.mosermemorialchapels.com.

Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home of Arlington is handling arrangements.

Article by Leeanna Ellis Washington County Enterprise 22 July 2016

AHS graduate drowns in Fremont

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Harrison Harner had the “brightest smile in the room.”

“He didn't make any enemies,” his friend, Joe Vampola, said. “He was always there for everybody, being everybody's friend.”

Harner, 22, drowned early Saturday morning at a lake in Fremont. He was a 2013 Arlington High School graduate.

Dodge County Sheriff Steve Hespen said deputies and Fremont Rescue responded to a 911 call at 2:45 a.m. at the Emerson Estates lake area, a quarter-mile south of Fremont.

Friends had removed Harner from the lake when rescuers arrived. Rescue personnel performed CPR before transporting him to Fremont Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Hespen said Harner and four other individuals were jumping off a rope swing and swimming in the lake when the others noticed Harner struggling and go under water.

“That's when his friends went in and tried to rescue him,” Hespen said.

It is unclear how long Harner was under water before he was pulled from the lake. Hespen said the group of men — all in their early 20s — had been drinking, but he was unsure if alcohol played a factor in Harner's death.

An autopsy was performed Sunday. It could be several weeks before results are available.

On Monday, friends and his former educators remembered Harner.

“Harry was fun-loving, always had a smile on his face, a pleasant young man to be around,” Arlington Public Schools Supt. Lynn Johnson said. “He was very dedicated, but was able to find the lighter side of life and just brought joy to those around him.”

While at AHS, Harner participated in football, baseball, wrestling and golf.

Steven Gubbels, who coached Harner for three years, said Harner was a leader on the football field and in the classroom.

“He definitely led by example,” he said. “I cannot remember of any time where I didn't get completely 100 percent from him, whether it be in a game or even in drills. He was just that kind of guy — all the way forward all the time.”

Gubbels described Harner as “full of energy” and “very outgoing.”

“Sometimes those are adjectives that are overused, but not with him,” said Gubbels, who had received a text from Harner the day before he died.

Gubbels, who had been asked to speak at Harner's funeral, will also remember Harner for his smile.

“When I think of kids, when I hear all the names I've encountered over the years, you always put a face to it,” he said. “When I hear his name, it's certainly one with his smile on it.”

Harner, who moved to Arlington his sophomore year of high school, quickly became part of a close-knit group of friends, which included Vampola and Cole Buckley.

“Harry was always just a good-time person,” Buckley said. “He would never stay mad. He would turn a bad situation into a good one. He was just always really fun to be around. He was just a great person. He would do anything for you in a blink of an eye. He wouldn't think anything in return.”

Buckley remained friends with Harner following high school. Both worked at Midwest Manufacturing in Valley.

Through tears, Buckley said he would miss the “random phone calls that we'd give each other. Like I said, he'd always turn a bad situation good so just hanging out with him was a blast.”

Vampola and Harner went on a cruise together in the winter of their senior year of high school.

“The closest we ever got was when we were in the middle of the ocean on the cruise,” Vampola said. “We went to Mexico and Jamaica. We climbed waterfalls and we were meeting all these new people from all over the place. I wouldn't have wanted to be there with anybody else.”

Classmate Sydney Whitmarsh described Harner as a bit of a class clown.

“He always made my day better being a goofball,” she said. “He was just fun to be around.”

AHS class president Alex Boulton started a Go Fund Me page for classmates to donate money to buy flowers for Harner's funeral. They had expected to raise $100, but people started sharing it. The $100 goal was eclipsed and had reached more than $450.

Boulton said the class plans to give the additional money to Harner's family.

“We wanted to contribute somehow and Harry was our classmate and a good guy,” she said.

“We thought this would be a good way to remember him.”

Following graduation, Harner attended Midland University and Fort Hays University. He was a member of the trap teams at both colleges.

Harner is survived by his girlfriend, Allison Miller of Fremont; mother, Dena Harner (Steve Scheitt) of Lincoln; father, Monte (Kandi) Harner of Fremont; brothers Jeffrey Harner of Fremont, Hunter Stafford, Layne Stafford, Noah Stafford and Tyler Scheitt; grandparents, Jennifer (Bob) Dobbins of Grand Island, H. Grant (Sheri) Harner of Clyde, Kan., and Diane Tucker of Lake Orion, Mich.; and many aunts, uncles and friends.

A celebration of life will be 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the Arlington Auditorium. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~