Eldon "Short" Harvey

Eldon "Short" Harvey, 94, passed away January 8, 2022. A Memorial Celebration of his life will be held at 6:00pm, Thursday, May 26, 2022 at the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center. His service will also be broadcast live in the video window below. A time of food and fellowship will follow.
"Short" was born on October 12, 1927 to Neil and Viola (Tanner) Harvey at Orton Flat. He attended the Cracker Box School for a few years then finished his elementary education at the Orton School, Casey Tibbs was one of his classmates. He worked on the homestead prior to being drafted in to the Army, entering in 1951 with the A Battery 11th Field Artillery BN 155 Howitzer Gunner. During the Korean War he received the Army Occupation Medal (Japan). After discharging in 1953, he helped build the Oahe Dam. He then went to Texas with M. Hattum's combine crew and they made their way north to the Canadian border.
His mother introduced him to his future wife, Barbara Ann Deal. They were married in Pierre on March 12, 1966. Rhonda, Shelly and Shane completed their family out on the homestead in Orton Flat. Short and Barb also were foster parents for ten years – their home hosted a lot of little ones! They enjoyed dances, card parties and rodeos. Short loved to ranch and farm, but farming was his passion. He enjoyed farming for neighbors and helping take care of their livestock when needed.
Eldon "Short" is survived by wife Barbara, daughters: Rhonda (Gary) Klemann, Choctaw, OK and Shelly (Kendall) Kiel, Pierre, SD; son Shane (Sharon) Harvey, Fort Pierre, SD; grandchildren: Chad (Emily) Kiel, Chelsea (Dan) Eilers, Matt Klemann, Amber (Shane) Whitehead, Ashley (Justin) Jacobs, Emma (Johnny) Roza, Staci (Kyle) Stahl and Samantha Harvey; seventeen great grandchildren; sister Kay Britigan and brother-in-law Robert Schwellenbach; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Jay Harvey, sisters Ella Mae "Penny" Greenwood, Irma Everts, Gilina "Jill" Nelson, Clarice Schwellenbach and Carla Itson.