William "Sweed" Harper
Marriages
Barbara Firestine - December 6, 1959
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7B Death Notice - March 25, 2017
Former Loma resident William “Sweed” Harper, 80, Grand
Junction died March 23, 2017, at HopeWest and Hospice Care Center.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Martin Mortuary
Chapel. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the mortuary, with burial with military honors at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado.
He was a farmer and a foreman with City Market.
He is survived by his wife Barbara; one son, Gary of Palisade; one daughter, Mary Jane Douma of Grand Junction; one brother, Gordon of Loma; one sister, Shirley Vogel; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D Obituary - March 26, 2017
William "Sweed" Harper
December 23, 1936 - March 23, 2017 Sweed Harper passed away March 23, 2017 at the HopeWest Hospice Care Center, he was 80. Sweed was born on
December 23, 1936 in Loma, Colorado from the union of George Cecil and Anna Nora Harper. He attended Loma Elementary and graduated from the Fruita Union High School.
He joined the United States Army on February 1957, serving in
Germany and was honorably discharged in January 1959.
He met Barbara Firestine while she was vacationing in
Colorado, their love blossomed, they married on December 6,
1959 at the Loma Community Church and from this union two
children were born.
Sweed farmed for 38 years. He served on the Colorado River
Basin Salinity Control Project Board and later became foreman.
He was a City Market Day Foreman for nine years until his
retirement.
Sweed enjoyed fishing, gun collecting, gardening, but was
most recognized for his garlic and onions that he would always
share. He was well known for making wishing wells and other
wood projects. Friends and family will always remember him
saying that the best crop he ever grew was his two children.
Sweed leaves behind his wife of 57 years, Barbara Harper of
Grand Junction; a son, Gary (Tammy) Harper of Palisade,
Colorado; a daughter, Mary Jane (Park) Douma of Grand
Junction, Colorado; a brother, Gordon Harper, Loma, Colorado;
a sister, Shirley Vogel; seven grandchildren; and 13 greatgrandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Marissa Harper.
A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, March
27, 2017 at Martin Mortuary. A Funeral service will be held at
10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at Martin Mortuary with
burial and military honors at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery
of Western Colorado at 1 p.m.
Friends and family may leave their condolences at
www.martinmortuary.com
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5B Obituary - March 28, 2017
