Harlan Mark Scheibe

Harlan Mark Scheibe (November 6, 2013)

Fargo, N.D.: Harlan Mark Scheibe, 69, of Fargo died Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013, at his home with his wife and daughters at his side. He died from the effects of a rare and aggressive cancer associated with exposure to Agent Orange when he served in South Vietnam.

 Harlan was born on Oct. 30, 1943, in Huron to Milburn (Mel) and Beryl (Jackie) (Anderson) Scheibe. He was proud to have shared his birthday with his grandpa, Ole Scheibe. He was raised and attended school grades 1-12 in Wolsey. He was a fairly good basketball player in high school, once scoring 38 points in a game. After graduating from high school, he attended the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. While at SDM&T, he enrolled in the Army ROTC program and the Army Flight Program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and received his private pilot's license.

 After graduation, he worked for a short time for the Caterpillar Co. in East Peoria, Ill., before going on active duty at Fort Belvoir, Va. After finishing the Engineer Officers Basic Course, he was assigned to rotary wing flight school at Fort Wolters, Texas, and Fort Rucker, Ala.

 While he was at Fort Wolters, Harlan and Kathryn Ann Rahm were married. For the next 46 years, she was his best friend, love of his life and the "rock" for their family. Harlan was fortunate to graduate first in his flight school class. Because the classes were so large, only the honor graduate was allowed to have his pilot's wings pinned on by his wife or mother during the graduation ceremony. They still treasure the photo of Kathy pinning on his pilot's wings during flight school graduation.

 From September 1967 to September 1968, Harlan served as a platoon leader in an assault helicopter company in South Vietnam. He survived shot-up helicopters and he and his crew crawled out of a helicopter, all without injury, that crashed and burned due to a mechanical failure. While in South Vietnam, Harlan was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism while participating in aerial flight.

 After his honorable discharge from the Army, he worked in industry as a mechanical engineer until he returned to South Dakota State University in Brookings, where he received a degree in pharmacy. He then attended North Dakota State University, where he received a master’s degree in hospital pharmacy and completed a residency in hospital pharmacy at the Fargo Veterans Administration Hospital. He then worked as a pharmacist at the San Diego Veterans Administration Hospital, in La Jolla, Calif., until he had the opportunity to return to the Fargo VA Hospital, where he spent the rest of his pharmacy career working as a staff pharmacist, supervisor and, for the last 26 years of his career, as the chief of the pharmacy service.

 He considered it an honor and privilege to be able to serve fellow veterans. He chose to receive his care during his last illness at the Fargo VA because of the esteem he has for those who care for veterans and is thankful for the care and compassion they graciously extended to Harlan and his family.

 He was a member of the West Fargo Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Nativity Knights of Columbus. In 2006, Harlan was named "Civil Servant of the Year" by the Fargo-Moorhead Federal Executive Association.

 He is survived by his wife, Kathryn; his daughters: Karen Marie Scheibe Eliason, Esq. (Fredrik Eliason), Prior Lake, Minn., and Meghan Marie Scheibe, M.D. (Jason Kelly, M.D.), San Francisco, Calif. Harlan always thought it would liven up Thanksgiving Day dinners to have a daughter who was a lawyer and a daughter who was a doctor at the table. Two grandchildren: Kaitlyn Marie Eliason and Erik Harlan Eliason; a sister, Cheryl (Bob) Kruztfeldt, Huron; an uncle, Don Scheibe, Huron; two very special aunts: Mrs. Faye Nettinga, Huron, and Mrs. Phyllis Cogswell, Aberdeen. Harlan's daily visits with his Aunt Faye over the last several years were a delight and comfort to them both as they reminisced and enjoyed each other's company. A brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Greg (Cyd) Rahm, Turton; mother-in-law, Mrs. Leola Rahm, Aberdeen; nieces, nephews and cousins.

 Harlan was preceded in death by his parents, Mel and Jackie Scheibe; and father-in-law, Arthur Rahm.

 A Catholic funeral Mass with military honors was held on Oct. 21 at the Church of the Nativity, in Fargo, N.D., and was presided by Father Chris Markman, who is a special family friend and brought us all closer to Jesus.

 His ashes were buried on Oct. 22 in the Rahm family plot at St. Joseph's Catholic Church Cemetery in Turton.

 Arrangements were entrusted to care of Boulger Funeral Home.

 Online guestbook at: boulgerfuneralhome.com