Harland V. Morehart Sr.

Harland Vernon Morehart Sr., 86 of Rochester, MN died peacefully at Season’s Hospice in Rochester on May 30, 2025.

Harland was born on February 21st, 1939 at the Community Hospital in Detroit Lakes, MN.  As the first born child of Vernon Howard Morehart and Alice Mathilda Hagen Morehart, he welcomed four more siblings into their family.  The family farm near Hillsboro and Caledonia, ND kept everyone busy, but times were tough, so at 11 years old, Harland moved to the neighboring farm to earn money to help his family.  He also saved enough to buy his first farm land at the age of 14 years old.  Harland still owns that 11 acres to this day.   Harland was confirmed at St. Petri Luthern Church in Nielsville, MN on May 16th, 1954. Because Harland worked so much as a youngster, he wasn’t able to regularly attend school, but to his mother’s relief, he graduated from Climax High School in 1957 where he was voted “Best Looking” and “Biggest Class Clown”. 

While in high school, Harland started serving in the North Dakota National Guard (1955-1962). After high school, Harland worked for a year to save money for college and from 1958-1959, he attended North Dakota State School of Science.  He graduated #1 in his class and was heavily recruited by construction companies.  Harland started with John Deeset Company and then Schultz & Lindsay Construction where he obtained his Master Diesel Mechanic certification.  As a project foreman for Schultz & Lindsay, he worked on the West Yellowstone, Billings and New Mexico highway development and construction projects. 

His work also brought him to SE MN where he courted Linda Renken and they were married at the Racine, MN Methodist Church in 1964.  He and Linda lived and farmed on County Road 1 near Stewartville before moving to the ‘Home Farm’ by Predmore in 1970 with their four children.  Linda and Harland later divorced, but still enjoyed sharing time together with their family.

Harland excelled at crop farming and especially loved his cattle.  He didn’t enjoy fencing though, so there were many opportunities to chase cattle through corn fields.  Harland sold seed corn on the side and did a lot of custom farming for others.  Trucking was one of his favorite custom jobs, which then turned into owning a couple trucking companies.  Harland made many trips to Las Vegas as a driver and exhibit worker and really felt at home with his work families at Byron Express and Dutch Mill Trucking.        

Harland was a private pilot and logged many hours in numerous aircraft types.  In addition to flying, he enjoyed his summer cabin rental in WI, boating, jeeping in the AZ hills, eating out (especially tacos), snowmobiling, buying/selling vehicles and equipment, touring the countryside, working in his shop and catching up with family and friends.  As everyone knows, his biggest passion in life was racing.  Harland started dirt track racing in 1955 in Gary, Fergus Falls and Glyndon, MN in a 1938 Chevy Coupe and said that it was pretty amazing that he didn’t get hurt as he only had a used football helmet and a lap belt for safety.  No roll bars, no fancy decals and the cars were towed to the races with a tow bar as trailers were not used.  If you wrecked in a race, you had to drag your car home.    His good friend found his first race car and Harland was tickled to have it back.  He always hoped to restore it, but ran out of time.  Over the last 70 years, Harland enjoyed many heat and feature wins and some pretty exciting races that had him upside down and over the banks.  Harland took a break from 1996 – 1999 to venture into the A.S.A. series as a car owner and then came back to racing in the USRA, Midwest Modified and Super Stock classes at AZ Speedway and many MN, WI and IA dirt tracks. Harland’s last race was at Deere Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, MN in 2022.   He continued to attend the races as a spectator after ending his racing career at 83 years old.  

Harland is survived by his sisters Mavis (Ed) Werner of Largo, FL, Neomie Nielson of Caledonia, ND, and brother Morgan (Jane) Morehart of Parker, CO., his four children Harla (Dan) Nelson of Racine, MN; Brenda (Patrick) Anderson of Rochester, MN; Lisa Voigt of Ostego, MN and Harland (Penny) Morehart Jr. of Rochester, MN; grandchildren Camille, Josten, Kalie, Charleigh, Bella, Amanda, Zach, Brandon, Isaac, Erica, Jordan, Jenna, Hannah, Nicole, Hunter and Jackie, many great grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

Harland was proceeded in death by his brother Gary Morehart, sister in-law Bonnie Morehart, brother in-law Gary Werner and brother in-law Ned Nielson.

A Funeral Service will take place at 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) at River Park Chapel(1105 12th ST SE)/  Rochester,MN/ with Rev. Marcus Quam officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood East Cemetery in Rochester,MN.  A time of visitation will take place from 10 to 1:00 PM at River Park Chapel on Wednesday morning prior to the service. Arrangements are with Griffin-Gray FH in Stewartville,MN. Condolences and memories of Harland are welcome at www.griffin-gray.com

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