William "Bill" Harman

November 7, 2018

William “Bill” Harman, 79, of Arma, Kansas died at 5:04 A.M. Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at his home.

Mr. Harman was born August 19, 1939 at Ft. Smith, Arkansas the son of Roy and Pauline Boner Harman.  Bill was a retired school teacher and coach who had been a resident of Arma since 1978.  He was raised in Kansas and Oklahoma and graduated from Weskan High School in Weskan, Kansas in 1957.  He later attended Garden City Junior College and received his associate degree in education.  He later attended Southwest Missouri State College and received his bachelor’s degree in education.  He then attended Pittsburg State University and received his master’s degree in administration in 1992. In 1961 he moved to Vona, Colorado and taught and coached and went to state in football and basketball.  In 1963 he moved to Granada, Colorado and coached all sports and won 3^rd in boys’ basketball and went to state in football.  In the summers he moved to Springfield to be certified in driver’s education.  In 1966 he moved to Colorado Springs and taught and coached at Palmer High School for a year.  For the next four years he was head coach at Holy Cross Abbey as well as athletic director in Canon City, Colorado.  In August 1971 moved to Meade, Kansas and coached football, wrestling, and track and in 1972 Meade won Kansas 2A football championship.  In August 1973 he was head coach for the West in the 1st East-West All Star Game and the West won.  In August 1973 he became head football coach at Newton, Kansas.  And 1975 thru 1978 was head coach at Eldorado Springs, Missouri.  In 1978 Bill moved to Arma where he taught Driver’s Ed and Physical Education and coached multiple sports at Northeast High School until he retired in May 2001.  The last nine years he was a bus driver and head of transportation.    While in Arma he was assistant coach for the East in the 1983 Shrine Bowl.  He married Joanne (Jan) Gauss on August 3, 1957 at the Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Sharon Springs, Kansas and were married for 61 years.  Mrs. Harman survives at the home.  He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arma.  He also served in the National Guard and Army Reserves.  Survivors include his wife Jan of the home, two sons, Rod (Rena) Harman of Olathe and Jerry (Kim) Harman of Pittsburg, two daughters, Crystal (Jim) Leach of Defiance, Missouri and Darla (Chuck) Lyon of Andover, Kansas, one brother, Charles Harman of Anchorage, Alaska, twenty grandchildren, and twenty-three great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter, Linda Davied, and a brother, David Harman. 

Even though he loved the places he lived, he moved 17 times in 21 years before he moved to Arma.  Bill loved the people of Arma and small-town life.  He valued church, family, education, music, sports, and especially KU basketball.  He continued teaching his whole life with fishing, camping, and driving education with his large family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 A.M. Saturday, November 3, 2018 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arma with Father Floyd McKinney as the Celebrant.  Burial will be at the Pittsburg Garden of Memories Cemetery.  Rosary will be at 6 P.M. Friday at the Bedene Funeral Home at Arma and the family will receive friends following the rosary.  The family suggests memorials to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arma.  Donations may be sent to or left at the Bedene Funeral Home, 517 E. Washington, Box 621, Arma, Kansas 66712