Danny Lewis Harman entered this world on May 27, 1949 at Canadian, Texas. He arrived before the doctor got there and weighed in at four and a half pounds. He was the fifth of seven children of F.B. and Roberta Harman that would be a large and happy family that played, loved and supported each other for the rest of their lives.
Danny’s dad was a bootmaker. He moved his shop to Reydon. The family was back home and the Harman children spent their growing up years with the Richardson cousins on weekends on Jess and Grace’s farm south of Reydon.
Danny attended school at Reydon and formed lifelong friendships. He was a great basketball player and won every track event he was in. In his high school days he started rodeoing with Gary Sumpter and Ray Hughes. They competed every weekend in local rodeos. One Saturday night after a rodeo they came back to Reydon to attend a Buddy and the Bums dance at the Legion Hut. There he met and instantly fell in love with Karen Sue Manhart. They danced together for fifty more wonderful years. Their favorite song was Faded Love.
Danny finished school and went to work for the AT&SF Railroad in Amarillo. When Karen graduated they were married at her parents home at Durham. They married on July 14, 1970, Bob and Donna’s 19th wedding anniversary. The beginning of their married lives that lasted over fifty-two and a half years. They purchased Karen’s grandparents home in Durham and their first child Kandy Shannon was born. Danny was a relief agent for the Plains Division and spent each month at a different depot. On one weekend home he heard of a job opening that would let him be at home. His career in the oilfield started in 1971 with Texas Oil and Gas as a pumper. He worked with Delbert Powers in the Durham field. He made a lifelong friendship with Frank Collins who was a contract pumper.
Their second child Daren Lynn was born in 1974. In 1979 Danny and his brother-in-law, Larry McGlothlin formed their own company, D & L Contract Pumping. The family moved to the country on the Manhart place. Danny was offered a job at Dyco Petroleum as Production Foreman in the Anadarko Basin. He made a lot of friends, worked long hard hours and learned from the best of the oilfield greats in the Elk City area, Don Broome, R.G. McConnell and Royce Forrester.
In 1979 they bought the farm and fulfilled his dream of owning land and having a farm and running cattle. Danny continued in the oilfield and worked in North Dakota, Montana, New York, New Mexico and Texas. Danny had his first heart attack in 2008. It slowed him down for a while, but he went back to work. He would work four or five days without sleep putting new wells on line. Danny finally retired from the oilfield to enjoy taking care of his cattle. He always loved to cook, but only in large quantities and in his barn.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings, J.B, Troy, Bill, Ava Lee and Gracie. He is survived by his wife, Karen, daughter Kandy and her husband Doug Stevens; son Daren and his wife Kristi. One sister, Sabra McGlothlin and husband Larry and two sister-in-law’s, Jissie Harmon and Darlene Harmon, brother in law, George Swinford. Three brother-in-law’s, Clayton Manhart and wife Christy, Mel Manhart and wife Trudy, Jack Hawkins and sister in law Barbara. Many nieces and nephews and cousins.
Danny’s greatest accomplishment was his children, Kandy and Daren, and his greatest joy was his grandchildren, Kailey Stevens Bullock, Dalton Stevens, Dason and Kynsli Harman. He spoiled each one of them as only a Papa can. He loved his two great granddaughters, Brooklyn Olivia and Blaire Kate Bullock in the short time he had with them. He loved to hunt and fish all his life. He loved going to the lake and the family enjoyed going snow skiing. He always raised a large garden. If you miss seeing Danny Harman just look in his children’s eyes and you can see him living through them.
He loved the Crawford Magnolia Baptist Church that had very recently became his church family that shared their love and friendship.
He got his final wish by being at home with only his family, to quietly pass on February 5, 2023 at the age of 73 years, 8 months, 9 days.