Harlan Bushfield

View Harlan's Tribute Video

Harlan John Bushfield, 97, of Sun City, Arizona, passed away Saturday, May 4, 2019 in Arizona.

Funeral Mass was held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, May 20, 2019 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Miller with Father Paul Josten, celebrant. Burial with military honors followed at St. Ann's Cemetery, Miller.

Harlan was born on October 5, 1921, to Harlan J. and Vera (Cahalan) Bushfield in Miller, S.D. His father was Governor and U.S Senator for the state of South Dakota. Harlan Jr. attended all twelve years of school in Miller, SD., graduating from High School in 1939. He played football and was captain of the basketball team at Miller High School. The family had a tennis court in their backyard where he played with his father and brother every night in the summer.

Harlan attended college at the University of South Dakota. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. World War II began during those years and Harlan entered ROTC, becoming a 2nd Lieutenant before transferring to the US Army Air Corps. In 1943 he graduated from flight school and flew P-51 fighters. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1945 after the war.

Harlan returned to Miller and then drove to California and proposed to Marcella (Sally) Schaefers of Polo. She had moved to California during the war to work. They were married in Long Beach on December 1, 1945. Sally and Huck drove across the country to Washington, D.C where he worked for a while and then attended college at Rutgers University. After graduating from college they came back to Miller. Using his degree in agriculture he established a cattle operation NW of Miller.  

In 1966 he became a partner in the Hand County State Bank where he led their insurance agency until he retired in 1986.

In 1958 they built a new home on the northeast side of Miller and lived there for 40 years with their family. They moved to Sun City, AZ, in l986 after retirement but returned to Miller for summers until 2000.

He was a Special Minister and Lector in St. Ann’s Catholic Church through the years.     Harlan was active in the Knights of Columbus and served 2 years as Grand Knight. After moving to Arizona, he joined St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Sun City. He served every Thursday in the ministry of St. Vincent DePaul Charity, which provides meals, housing, and medicine for the less fortunate.

He was President of the Miller Civic and Commerce Association and active in the Miller Kiwanis Club of which he was a charter member and President.   He was also very active in the Miller Golf Club as a leader and golfer.   He was instrumental in changing the course to grass greens in the 1970s. He continued to play golf in AZ until a few years before his death and was often shooting his age in the 90s.

Grateful to have shared in his life are his five children: son, Robert (Suzanne) Bushfield of Peoria, AZ, and Sioux Falls, SD and their four children, Marcee, Tadd, Ben and Julie; daughter, Debbie (Skip) Windemiller of Hampton Beach, N.H; daughter, Sherry Assmus (Tom) Littleton, CO and their three children, Matthew, Sara and Emily; daughter, Jan (Curt) Liedtke of Rapid City, SD and their four children, Tara, Tai, Toni and Christopher; and daughter, Lynn (Jeff) Marso of Austin, TX and their daughter, Rita; and 25 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Jan Work; brother, John Bushfield; and his wife, Sally.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials to St. Vincent de Paul, % St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 9728 W Palmeras Dr., Sun City, AZ 85373-2254.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Harlan's arrangements.