Rev. George Harper 1923-2011 <\/p>\n
Rev. George Arthur Harper was born on July 4, 1923, in Salem, Ohio, and died in Helena on May 2, 2011. In between, he lived a remarkable life. <\/p>\n
George went to grade school in rural Alabama, where he ran a couple of miles to and from school every day. His 8th grade basketball team was undefeated, but had tough luck at the regional tournament, because four of the five starters were disqualified for being over 21! He went to high school in Birmingham, and college at Birmingham Southern. He went to seminary at Duke Theological School and finished his Master\u2019s Degree at Garrett Biblical Institute in Chicago. <\/p>\n
He was always a fine athlete in football, basketball, track and baseball. He ran a 4:15 mile, only 11 seconds over the world record. In an exhibition baseball game, he hit a home run off Bob Feller, later a Hall of Fame pitcher. <\/p>\n
He married Dorothy Watson, a national oratory winner, actress, dancer, and writer of national radio scripts, with a Master\u2019s Degree, a rarity at that time for women. <\/p>\n
As a young adult, George was elected President of the million-member Methodist Youth Fellowship. He was later appointed Executive Secretary of the National Conference of Methodist Youth. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, he traveled world-wide, preaching even to the headhunters of Borneo. He became known as a great speaker, a comedian, a man of God, and a believer in youth. He organized youth rallies and caravans across America, during which many young people heard a call of God to service in many different fields. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke at two of the interracial rallies he organized. <\/p>\n
George and Dorothy had five children, the last of whom was born in Great Falls, where the family moved from Nashville after he became Youth and Camping Leader for the Montana Methodist Conference. <\/p>\n
Before the move, he wrote in 1952 to Dorothy, \u201cWe are moving to Montana, and the big land will welcome us. It is a land of the big sky\u2026 Its young men and women need to be banded together in a movement to make the people and policies of the state as much a part of God\u2019s perfect plan as the mountains are. That is why we are going there to live\u2026We will grow up with the state and we will help shape its future.\u201d <\/p>\n
In 1961 he was appointed pastor to St. Paul\u2019s United Methodist Church in Helena. (He told friends he started his career at the top and was working his way down.) In 25 years at St. Paul\u2019s, and since then in retirement, he estimates he performed 1200 weddings, 1200 funerals, and an untold number of baptisms in churches, camps, and on mountains, rivers and lakes in every corner of Montana.
Always a fan of youth and athletics, George became the pole vault coach at Helena High in 1965, where he coached until his death. Athletes, especially at Helena High, but also at Capital, Carroll and Rocky Mountain College, have heard his support for 50 years. Basketball, football, track, volleyball, soccer, tennis, swimming — he followed it all as best he could. In the last year he would appear at basketball games in a wheelchair or at track meets on a power scooter, just so he could see his beloved young people. <\/p>\n
Many a parent who was not United Methodist came to George for counseling, because they knew they could trust a man who supported their children that much.
In 1972 he was elected to the Constitutional Convention, one of only two independent delegates. He was proud that the Republicans and Democrats decided to be seated alphabetically rather than by party, so that they could concentrate on producing the best possible Constitution for Montana. He believes that the Constitution may be the best thing that he and his delegate friends ever did for Montana youth. <\/p>\n
George was on a Helena committee that planned and built the new jail here. He also served on the group that wrote the city charter for Helena. <\/p>\n
He has written 14 books, including a set of 9 that covers the whole Bible in his inimitable style, and three on golf. <\/p>\n
A true outdoorsman and exceptional angler, George delighted in the Lord\u2019s natural creations and hiked, trekked, fished, and packed United Methodist youth, older adults, and his own family into back country all over Montana. On one such trip, sons Rusty (11) and Steve (7) became lost overnight in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. George\u2019s mother, Mabel Harper, read the sensationalized news of \u201cBoys lost in Grizzly-infested Wilderness\u201d in her Florida newspaper. His mother and his sons survived. <\/p>\n
Always active, George and Dorothy could often be seen in a drift boat on the Missouri, enjoying the scenery and wildlife, and often leaning into the bend in his nine-foot six-weight rod. At age 85, he lost a hearing aid while riding on a zip line over the Costa Rican jungle. <\/p>\n
George and Dorothy had five children \u2013 Rusty (Pat Callbeck Harper), Hal (Janet Matteucci Harper), Steve (Pam Campbell), Nancy (Michael McNeilly) and Jannie, deceased (son-in-law Randy Fuhrmann (Renee Driessen)); five grandchildren \u2013 Robin Harper Cowie (Zac Cowie), Molly Harper Haines (Mark Haines), Emily McNeilly, Hannah Harper and Becca Harper; and two great-grandchildren \u2013 Caleb and Greyson Cowie. <\/p>\n
The family invites you to a memorial service celebrating his life at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, May 8th at the Carroll College PE Center. Rather than flowers, memorials in George\u2019s name are suggested to St. Paul\u2019s United Methodist Church Building Fund 512 Logan Helena, MT 59601; Rocky Mountain College 1511 Poly Drive Billings, MT 59102; Intermountain Children\u2019s Home, 500 S. Lamborn Helena, MT 59601; Angel Fund (for clothing and supplies for Helena school children) P.O. Box 7436 Helena, MT 59604; or any charity that helps children and youth. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.aswfuneralhome.com.<\/p>\n","photo":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/370676_profile_pic.jpg","youtube_video_url":"","family_email":"","family_first_name":"","family_last_name":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case\/820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}