A celebration of life in honor of Norman (Norm) Leroy Harder will be held at his home in Cortez, Colorado, on August 16th, 2026. Please join us anytime throughout the day to share cherished memories, stories, and laughter.

Norman Leroy Harder was the eleventh child of twelve born to Floyd and Ruth of Cumberland, Wisconsin. Norm’s beloved brother, Bryan Harder, currently lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Norm was preceded in death by ten brothers and sisters and will be missed by numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and nephews.

Our Norman was one of a kind, and he was that genuine diamond in the Wranglers. Norm’s life was full of those been-there, done-that experiences. Norm’s story began during the Great Depression, and his parents’ struggles and triumphs clearly shaped who he was in many ways. No one can deny Norm was as tough as a horseshoe nail and exceptionally hard-working but brimming with love and pure joy for the young.

Norm worked with dynamite in mines, tunnels, and dams, including the Glen Canyon and the Eisenhower Dam. Norm was one of the bronc-riding “Marlboro Man” whose wild bronc-riding images are preserved in magazines today. It feels as if he had done it all, from deep-sea fishing, leading a herd of horses from New Mexico to Colorado, rodeoing across the country, working with equine legends, leading celebrities on horseback to the top of our local mountains, and even sewing sock monkey dolls for his beloved grandchildren. He earned the title of the Greatest of All Time Outfitter and Fishing Guide.

He was gloated on by Max and Brittany, “he shaped, lived, and died the Wild Wild West.” If you knew Norm, you knew how true this statement really is and how it applied to many parts of his daily life. Quite a few of us winced while he sewed his own cuts just so the play or work could continue. Norm would spend his last dollar on fuel just so the kids could play on the backhoe. Countless times, the horses were trailered to the mountains just so the young and old could have the experience.

His entire farm was set up as a country playground, and he was excited as he put up the teepee for family visits. This man taught many lessons and how-to to young and old alike, and some received their first lessons in welding and farrier work from Norm. He was a people person and thoroughly enjoyed long conversations. Many of which ended with his famous, “I gotta-go, I am busier than hell.” Tish threatened that if he said this one more time, it would read on his tombstone, “he had to go, he was busier than hell.” He told captivating stories, and surprisingly, most were true. We have yet to meet a family, neighbor, or stranger to whom Norm said “no” when asked for help. He enjoyed a good poker game and a father-daughter dance at the local Elks Lodge, where he was a lifetime member. He was genuinely one of the best men that ever walked this Earth, and we will miss him more than words can express. He was truly, our, one of a Kind.

Norm and his first wife, Virginia Morris, were blessed with four children, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Shauna and husband Doug Throm, their daughter Rio and husband Dustin, and their children Tupelo and Bay Bonds of Tallahassee, Florida. Their son, Doug “Dougie,” and his daughter, Maycee Throm, of Titusville, Florida. Son, Lance Harder, passed away on 04/12/2018 at the age of 58 at his home in Florence, Oregon, and was blessed with one son, Kyle Stocks, from Phoenix, Arizona. Daughter Leslie and children’s father Alex Schumacher from Sutherlin, Oregon, and their children Rain and husband Max and their daughter Ezme Estela from Arizona. Their son Jeb and wife Brittany and their daughter Ada Schumacher of Sutherlin, Oregon. Daughter Whitney Harder, who lives in Reedsport, Oregon.

Norm met his current wife, Vicki Harder, in 1981, and they married in 1992. Norm and Vicki’s union included her four children, six grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. Son Rodney Rich passed away on 12/22/1998 at the age of 37 and was blessed with wife Leanne (Whitmer) Rich and two children. Their daughter Kealey, husband Tanner, and two daughters, Clair and Quinn Harris, of Cortez, Colorado. Their son Ryan and wife Morgan and two sons, Colson and Grayson Rich, from Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Daughter Kristi and children’s father Jim Muller, current husband Cecil “Alan” Thompson, with son Jalen Muller of Boulder, Colorado. Their son Jace and wife Rachel with son Theodore Muller of Grand Junction, Colorado. Son Greg Rich passed away on 03/09/2014 at the age of 46 at his home in Farmington, New Mexico. Daughter Tisha Strawn and two daughters, Delialah and husband James Tyler, and three children, Pendleton Meeks, River, and Cooper Jones of Mancos, Colorado. Devanee and three children, Atlas, Nova Griffin, and Paisley Strawn of Cortez, Colorado.