Karon Kay Harmon

Karon Harmon, 84, passed away unexpectedly at her home Friday morning, December 19, 2025. Karon Kay Harmon was born November 23, 1941, to John and Edith (Wernet) Albers on the family farm where her father was born a mile south of Swaledale. Karon met the love of her life, Howard Harmon, during her high school years while roller skating at Thornton. After graduation from Rockwell-Swaledale Community School in 1960, she attended and graduated from Hamilton Business College while Howard was serving in the Navy. The couple was married on March 26, 1961, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Thornton. Karon worked for a short time at Builder's Supply in Mason City as a secretary. After their wedding, they moved to Bremerton, Washington, as Howard was stationed there. Upon moving back, they resided in Mason City. In 1970, they moved to Swaledale, where – shortly after - Howard designed and built their forever-home. Karon was a loving wife, Mom, grandma, and Little Nana, always concerned about the welfare of her family. She was an avid reader and would read almost anything. She especially enjoyed author Dorothy Garlock. She also enjoyed the trips – and especially planning for those trips – that she and Howard took to Tampa, Branson, and Hinkley, Minnesota, taking great pleasure in seeing live her and Howard's favorite comedians of the “Blue Color Comedy Tour”, Jeff Dunham, and Vicky Lawrence. She always made sure everyone was well fed during family gatherings with enough food for a threshing crew. The family will remember her insistence that everyone's food was properly warm before she would let herself relax and eat. “Can I warm that up for you?” was her famous saying. Her son will always remember fondly the hours she spent with him helping him study for tests and writing papers during his high school years. Roxy will always remember as a child coming home to fresh baked chocolate chip cookies after school, their drives around Swaledale together as Roxy was practicing for her license, and their shopping/lunch dates. And her family will always remember her personality quirks. Left to mourn her passing are her husband of 64 years, Howard; her son, Brian, of Des Moines; daughter Roxanne Shadley of Swaledale; five grandchildren: Tyler Spurgeon (Sara) of Maxwell, Erin Pruett of Ankeny, Camille Harmon (Makai Tegtmeier) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jonathan Conroy (special friend Megan) of Swaledale, and Spencer Shadley (Tesse) of Thornton; and nine great grandchildren (Tanner, Taylor, Tessa, Tristan, Madeline, Remy, Orion, Kaiden, and Riley). Karon was proceeded in death by her father in 1995, by her mother in 2006, and by a brother, Lynn John, in 1943, as well as by many pets - especially her beloved Lhasa Apso “Mollie”. A visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M to 7:00 P.M. Monday, December 22, at the Woodley Funeral Home and Crematory, 107 N 2nd St. in Thornton. A graveside service for the family will be held at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, December 23, at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery south of Swaledale.

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Karon Kay Harmon

November 23, 1941 - December 19, 2025