Morris LaDorr "Dirk" Harris, 96 years young, passed away Tuesday, August 20, 2024, in Rigby, ID.

He was born to Vivian Morris and Pontel Garn Harris on July 23, 1928, in Pasadena, CA, the oldest of nine children. Shortly after he was born, his father and three other Harris brothers moved their families to Agawam, MT, to homestead 640 acres. Their family lived there until he was approximately 9 years old when they moved their family, now consisting of 5 children, back to Sugar City, ID, where he spent the rest of his growing up and school years.

He told of sugar and gas rationing during the depression and how they used to share candy through the fence with the German prisoners of war who were housed at the old sugar factory in Sugar City.

He graduated from Sugar Salem High School in 1946 and attended classes at Ricks College for a short time before he and some friends went to San Francisco to work at a Simmons Beauty Rest mattress factory for several months. He returned to ID to work with his Uncle Cleo Anderson in construction, then returned to CA where they were building homes in Pasadena. He married CaroLee Clark in Pasadena, CA, on April 25, 1950. They were the parents of three girls and four boys. The first five of their seven children were born in ID before they moved to UT in search of work. Dirk first worked for Earl Walters and then for Jensen Construction on a remodel of the Salt Lake Temple. He then worked as an estimator with W.P. Harlan, a very well-known construction firm in the Salt Lake area, and became acquainted with Thayne Acord. Thayne and Dirk decided to become partners and called their company Acord and Harris. They also had a nonunion company called Granger Construction which Dirk took over because Thayne wanted to retire. They did mostly commercial construction of hospitals, churches, schools, and of particular note, the Dee Special Events Center on Weber State College Campus in Ogden, UT. Unfortunately, Thayne and his wife Lorraine were murdered before Acord and Harris was dissolved. Dirk not only lost a very good partner and best friend but a lot of construction equipment and money due to this great tragedy.

He and a buddy Grover Browning bought a small airplane together and enjoyed using it for family and to get back and forth between job sites. When the boys were little, he would let them chart the course and then help them fly to and from their destinations. Many wild and crazy stories about challenging airplane rides have been told and retold through the years.

In addition to all the construction work he was involved in, he purchased a 500-acre ranch in Benjamin, UT, where he raised very delicious beef. He built a home on the property and his dad and mom came from ID to run the ranch. Every Spring when new baby calves are being born, Dirk would always say how much he missed riding his horse out through the herd checking his new batch of calves. He loved riding horses and took several trips on horseback into the Uintahs with his sons looking for the Lost Rhoades Gold Mine. He also loved fly fishing, hunting, camping and just being in the great outdoors. Dirk and CaroLee later divorced.

After his children were grown and only Shawn was unmarried, Dirk accepted the responsibility to help raise Carolyn Turnbow's four children when they were married in 1988, in Pocatello, ID. They lived in Idaho Falls until the Sunnyside freeway access took their home through Eminent Domain in 2003. Carolyn took a 4-year work assignment in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They considered their time in Canada as a mission, even though they weren't ever officially called. They always had a home full of missionaries either teaching or being fed. Many choice experiences and wonderful friends were welcomed there. They returned to Rigby in 2007.

At first, Dirk was excited for retirement in Canada with all the fishing, chance to play golf and relax but that only lasted about two months when he could see so much construction going on without him. He had to get special permission from the US Consulate for him to work there, but began working for Triahn Construction after his first interview. They were a subcontractor for Ledcore, one of the largest construction companies in that part of Canada. He worked on multi-million dollar projects at the Vancouver International Airport, University of British Columbia, MetroTown Mall and was offered a superintendant position with Ledcore to stay and oversee the building of a port near Whistler for athlete housing for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

He is survived by his wife Carolyn; six of his children Terry Wilcken, Debbie Rudd, Scott (Nena) Harris, Jeff (Sherri) Harris, Pogi (Merilyn) Harris, Shawn (Jeanette) Harris, Alisha (Jay) Stubbs, Megan Turnbow, Brandon (Kate) Turnbow, and Ginger (Pasquale) Shaver; 36 grandchildren, 41 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren; siblings Blaine (Elaine) Harris, VeeAnn Krall, Verlyn Harris and Jacque Miles. He was preceded in death by his parents, first wife CaroLee, two brothers, Dee and Harold Harris, two sisters, Cleola Schofield and Bonnie Holman, one daughter J'lene Harris, one grandson Zachary Harris, and one great grandson Jordan Mair.

Special thanks goes to DeAnna, Janel, Shelley, and all the great staff at Aspen Home Health and Hospice as well as Amy, Laila, and the kind, helpful staff at Sage Grove Assisted Living in Rigby where Dirk spent the last few weeks of his life.

Memorial services will be held from 10-11am Monday, August 26, 2024, at Flamm Funeral Home, 61 North 1st East, Rexburg, ID. Interment to follow at Sugar City Cemetery, 16 East, Sugar City, ID. Luncheon provided by Clark Ward RS at 198 North 4300 East, Rigby, ID.

Service will be broadcasted at: https://my.gather.app/remember/dirk-harris