Joseph Dale “J. D.” or “Dale” Harris was born Aug. 8, 1955, to Iva (Miller) Harris and Harold “Jack” Harris in Burwell. He passed away Oct. 24, 2023, at home in Staplehurst after a seven-year battle with cancer.
Dale grew up on a farm west of Taylor and graduated from Loup County High School in 1973. After high school, Dale worked ranch-related jobs and at the Sargent Alfalfa Dehy plant. On Oct. 15, 1977, Dale married his forever wife and love of his life, Marla Kay Bomberger. To this union, two wonderful and blessed children were born: daughter, Chelsy Jo and son, Justin Dale.
In 1978, Dale was accepted into the Nebraska State Patrol. After training camp, he was assigned to Columbus, South Sioux City, and lastly serving 25 years in Ainsworth. Dale's duties included 20 years as a traffic trooper and over seven years in investigate services. During his patrol career, he served 25 years on the Hazardous Materials Team, 15 years on the SWAT team and 20 years on Executive Protection detail.
He trained new troopers as a Field Training Officer and instructed courses for new recruits and troopers at the NSP Training Academy (hazmat, rope rescue and repelling) and at various SWAT trainings. Dale retired from the Nebraska State patrol on Dec. 31, 2005 after serving 27 and a half years.
Dale was very active in the community, coaching and assistant coaching Elks and Legion baseball programs, president and member of the Ainsworth Bulldog Booster Club, president and member of the Ainsworth Golf Course, member of BPOE Elks 1790 and the Sons of the American Legion, officer and member of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce and volunteer for the Colorado Springs Care and Share Food Bank. He also taught defensive driving tactics for the Nebraska Safety Council.
Dale started Harris Construction after retirement. He had already built two houses for he and his family, plus remodeling other homes prior to retirement. He went on to build several more houses, including two more for he and Marla and one alongside his daughter and son-in-law. He was a phone call away when his children and friends had projects needing his help. Harris Construction was active from 2005 to 2022, when failing health forced him to retire from work completely.
Dale loved to travel and enjoyed trips to Jamaica, Alaska, and across the United States from California to South Carolina with Marla, family, and dear friends.
Dale is survived by wife Marla Kay Harris; daughter Chelsy Harris and spouse John Buell, step-grandchildren John and Tyler Buell, Colorado Springs, CO; son Justin Harris and spouse MaKensey, grandchildren Koeyn Lynn and Jett Dexter Harris, Richmond Hill, GA; sister Wanda and spouse Brad Grasmick, Taylor, NE; brother Gene Harris, Burwell, NE; brothers Dell Harris and Terry Harris, Taylor, NE; mother-in-law Conni Bomberger, York, NE; sister-in-law Cortni Lavicky and spouse Kevin, Staplehurst, NE; special nephews Jamison Fern and Cooper Fern, Staplehurst, NE; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Dale was preceded in death by his mother, Iva Harris; father, Jack Harris, father-in-law, Marlin Bomberger; grandparents, Rosetta Peril Sinkler Miller, Carrol Ray Miller, Gladys Williams Harris and Aaron Harris.
Dale proudly consented to the “Postmortem Tissue Donation from Prostate Cancer” research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after his death.
A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Event Center in Taylor with inurnment at Mount Hope Cemetery in Sargent. Memorial contributions are suggested to the family to be designated later for cancer research. Arrangements by Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell.
