PIERRE — Thomas Henley Harmon, 79, passed on to his heavenly home on November 22, 2022.
The funeral service will be on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Community Bible Church in Pierre, with visitation starting at 10 a.m. Burial will be at 4 p.m. at Bethel Church Cemetery of Carpenter.
Tom was born to Eugene and Hazel Harmon on May 26, 1943, in Madison, the third of their eight children. He accepted Jesus as his Savior at an early age. The family moved to Doland, where Tom attended the lower grades. When they moved to the Byron Bible Camp near Huron, Tom and his siblings attended country school. He graduated from James Valley Christian High School in 1961, then studied at Grace Bible Institute for one year. He graduated from Northern State College in 1972.
Tom married Esther Lutes in 1970, and they were teachers for several years. Tom started Law School the same month his first son Erin Byron Harmon was born. In 1978 Tom received his Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota and also completed a Masters in Education Administration.
Tom moved his family to Pierre, where he clerked for Chief Justice Roger Wollman, followed by 12 years in the S.D. Attorney General’s staff. Son, Elliot Thomas Harmon was born during this time. In 1991 he became a partner in the Tieszen Law Office in Pierre, and in 2006 he opened his own practice. He devoted much of his professional time to representing school districts from one corner of the state to the other.
Tom was a member of Community Bible Church, the S.D. State Fair Commission and the Elks Lodge as well as various boards. He enjoyed woodworking, though he excelled in the law more than carpentry. He always had a friendly greeting or a joke to share.
Tom is survived by his wife, Esther; his son, Erin (Susanne) of Sioux Falls; granddaughter, Hannah; daughter-in-law, Kat Cornelius of San Francisco; brothers, Craig (Dorothy) of Huron, Philip (Connie) of Whitewater, Wis. and Joel (Bobbie) of Elkhorn, Wis.; sisters, Rebecca (Don) Donalson of Tomball, Texas, Rachel (Ken) Ediger of Wichita, Kan. and Sally (David) Lott of Newport News, Va.; his sisters-in-law, Inez Fattig, Phoebe (Frank) Martin and Olive (Stan) Gurney; brother-in-law, Loren Lutes (Janis Stout); and many nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death were his son, Elliot; granddaughter, Darlene; his parents and parents-in-law; his brother, Daniel; and a nephew, David. Also preceding him were several of Esther’s siblings.
Condolences may be conveyed to the family at www.feigumfh.com.
A memorial fund will be established by the family.
