Thurman Harris

December 18, 1935 ~ September 28, 2008

His life and time

Thurman’s family traveled to Cedar Point during the summer on 1935 and Thurman was born in Urado, UT on December 18, 1935.

They moved into town about the time he started school in Dove Creek. 

Thurman graduated from Dolores County High School in 1953.  Thurman went to Fort Lewis College for one semester and then returned to Dove Creek, where he helped his Dad with the mail routes and farming, raising pinto beans. 

In 1956, Marie and Thurman became re-acquainted again and they started dating. On July 14, 1957, Thurman married his sweetheart and they were married for 51 wonderful years.

In the spring after their marriage, Thurman was drafted into the Army and left for boot camp. He was assigned to Camp Irwin as the Company Clerk for Sgt. Lawless. 

Marie joined Thurman at Camp Irwin in Barstow, CA, where Michael Thurman was born on May 4, 1959.

After Thurman was discharged from the Army in 1960, they returned to Dove Creek, where Thurman went to work at the uranium mill. John Wayne was born on August 31, 1960.

After working at the mill for awhile, Thurman opened a service station in Dove Creek and eventually he opened a second service station. He was his own competition.

During the time that he owned the service stations, Kenneth Mark was born on February 2, 1963.  Thurman sold the service stations in 1965 and moved to the Stateline area. He started working for Black Oil in Monticello.  

In the spring of 1966, they moved to Monticello, where over the next ten years, Thurman worked at Black Oil, at Harry Sturgeon’s as a farmer and then went to work for Melvin Dalton as a rancher and farmer, including custom combining all over southeast Utah and southwest Colorado. 

They also moved back into the house at the Stateline.  Thurman was active in the Jaycees and was Monticello President, Four Corners Congress President and State Director during his time with the Jaycees.

Thurman worked for Melvin until 1978 and then he started working for Holsum Bread, running a bread truck from Monticello to Black Mesa (south of Kayenta) for eight years.  In 1983, they opened Horsehead Lumber and Hardware and Thurman worked for Holsum Bread and their store for a couple of years.  In 1986, they closed the store and Thurman started working for Canyonlands Dairy.

In 1991, Thurman started working for Monticello Mercantile part-time and continued working for Canyonlands Dairy until 2001.  Thurman continued working for Monticello Mercantile until his passing.  You could always count on Thurman being at the Merc, behind the counter with a friendly grin and helping hand.

Thurman is survived by his wife Marie, sons Mike (La Sal, UT), Wayne (Colorado Springs, CO) and Kenny (Phoenix, AZ); step-daughters, Kathy (Wellington, UT), Bev (Dolores, CO) and Chris (Houston, TX) and 13 grand-Children and over 10 great-grandchildren.