Harry Lee Jarrell was born on Nov. 29, 1915, in Delagua, Colo., a small coal camp near Trinidad. He lived on a ranch in Gulnare, Colo. with his parents, Richard Lee Jarrell and Stella Mae Gillen, his two brothers, Jim and Art, and his half-brother, Bill. Al, his other half-brother, lived with Richard's parents.The Jarrell boys learned to ride horses at a very young age. They attended a one-room schoolhouse in Gulnare through 8th grade. In 9th grade, Harry, Bill and Art moved to Trinidad to attend high school. At the start of 10th grade, Harry's parents could no longer pay for him to attend school. To continue in high school, he moved in with a family in Trinidad where he lived and worked for them.After Harry graduated from high school in 1934, the Great Depression made it impossible to find a job, so he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (the CCC). During his two-and-a-half years with the CCC, he worked primarily on reducing soil erosion throughout the mountains west of Colorado Springs. He made many friends and enjoyed himself. He earned the nickname 'Mae' by dressing up as Mae West!Harry became friends with Leslie Tomsha, who introduced Harry to his sister, Dorothy. After a whirlwind courtship in the rumble seat of Leslie's car, Harry and Dorothy were married on Nov. 2, 1936. Settling in Colorado Springs, Harry became a mechanic and he and Dorothy had five children together: Harry Lee Jr. the first son, was stillborn in 1937, Donald Lee (1940-1954), Elaine Marie Heikkinen (1942- ), Larry Francis (1945- ) and Linda Joyce Partridge (1947- ).The Jarrell Family moved back and forth from Colorado Springs to Denver until 1953, settling in Englewood, Colo. In 1969, they moved to Beaumont, Texas, where Harry was a motor mechanic, working for Elaine's husband, Ben until his retirement in 1977.In 1979, Harry and Dorothy moved to Ignacio, Colo., where he was a foreman on a ranch owned by Elaine and Ben. They moved to Durango in 1990 where Harry was the groundskeeper and caretaker for LaVern St. Clair's glider port, ValAir Soaring. Harry loved living at the glider port, meeting tourists, riding tractors, and tending cattle, reminding him of his youth. While flying gliders with LaVern, Harry would even take control of the aircraft, finding thermals and soaring with the birds.Over the years, Harry was an active member of the Colorado Oddfellows (Lifetime Member), the Animas Valley Grange, the Colorado Mounted rangers (retired as the oldest Colorado Ranger ever), and the La Plata County Mounted Patrol (honorary member). In 2010, Harry & Dorothy moved to Tamarin Square in downtown Durango.Harry and Dorothy have five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.Harry was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 74 years, Dorothy; two of their sons, Harry Jr. and Donnie and their granddaughter, Sarah Heikkinen; and his four brothers.A Celebration of Life for Harry and Dorothy Jarrell will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 1 at the First United Methodist Church in Durango, Colo.