Harold E. Wisecarver, Jr.

Harold E. Wisecarver, Jr., 78, left his little piece of heaven in Libertyville, IA for the one beyond on Tuesday, October 9th surrounded by those he loved in the home he adored.  He will be remembered for his heartfelt laugh, his admirable integrity and honesty, his ornery sense of humor, incredible generosity, and the immense love, pride and respect he had for his family, friends, and the love of his life, Carol Mae.

Harold was born in Madison, WI on March 9, 1940 to parents Harold E. Wisecarver and Elsie Clara (Schulz).  The eldest of five children, he moved to Fairfield, IA in 1950 where he graduated from Fairfield High School in 1959. He married Carol Mae (Bonnett) on June 26, 1960 and together they raised their children Kelly, Scott and Jenny. He graduated from Parsons College (Fairfield) in 1963 with an BA in Education and an MA degree in Counseling from Northeast Missouri State (Kirksville, MO) in 1971.

Left to share Harold’s memories are his wife of 58 years, Carol Mae of Libertyville, their children Kelly Wisecarver of Chicago, IL; Scott (Cindy) Wisecarver of LaGrange, KY; and Jenny (Chad) Christensen of Libertyville, IA, 6 grandchildren including Ryan (Kassaundra) Wisecarver, Shane (Brooke) Wisecarver, Bret (Morgan) Wisecarver; Alex, Claire and Nile Christensen; and 2 great-grandchildren, Eisleigh and Beau. He also leaves his sisters Valerie (Mike) Bussey, Karen Cunningham and Renee (Wayne, deceased) Zimmerman.

Immediate family members who preceded him in death include his father and mother, his sister Peggy Scott, his mother-in-law, Alfreda Bonnett and father-in-law, Russell Bonnett.

He was passionate about anything related to outdoorsmanship and nature. An avid fisherman and hunter, he introduced the sports to many, and trained all on the importance of gun safety and respect for wildlife and waterways. Some of his greatest outdoor adventures included hunting or fishing on the land he owned, hunting antelope in Wyoming, elk in Colorado, caribou in Quebec, moose in Alberta and Newfoundland, duck in Arkansas and pheasant in South Dakota. Annual fishing trips to Lansing, IA and Tablerock Lake in Missouri were also favorites.

He was a talented artist and surprised many who knew him well when his paintings were introduced in a one-night-only show during the summer of 2017.  He proudly served as the Exalted Ruler for the Elks Lodge #1192 in Fairfield. He collected friends from every walk of life and he will be remembered with great fondness by all who met him.

Harold’s professional career included work at Parsons College (1963-1973) where he served in roles as advisor/counselor, art history teacher, and financial aid director. At John Deere Ottumwa Works (1973-1999), he held many positions before retiring as an industrial engineer implementing the CIPP program.

Visitation will be held at Behner Funeral Home on Sunday, October 14 between 4 – 6 p.m. Funeral services will be held Monday, October 15 at 10:30 a.m. at Faith United Methodist Church followed by burial at Fell Cemetery, both in Libertyville, IA. Online condolences may be made to the family at behnerfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Pheasants Forever or for youth shooting sports at the Southeast Iowa Skeet Club.