Harm Lipton Briery, 96, 0f Hoxie, Kansas, died Saturday December 5, 2020, at the Sheridan County Health Complex Long Term Care Unit, Hoxie, Kansas.
Harm was born on November 17, 1924 to Lester W. and Hazel C.
(Crum) Briery. Harm attended Hoxie Grade School and Sheridan
Community High School graduating with the class of 1942. He attended
college for one year, and in the Fall of 1943 Harm enlisted in the US
Army. By 1944, he was on a Troop Ship to New Guinea where he was
permanently assigned to the 6th Infantry Division as a Machine Gunner.
The 6th Infantry division was sent to Manila. While Harm was on a
perimeter outpost in the foothills, he was wounded by the Japanese.
After his recovery, he was reclassified as non-combative. He returned
to the United States Christmas Eve 1945 and discharged January 1946. On
October 13, 1946, in Kanarado, Kansas Harm married Cleo Hatten. They
lived most of their lives in Hoxie, Kansas where they raised a family of
four children.
Harm and his father, Les, built and ran the Play described as a good
clean place where people could come in and relax and enjoy an evening
of fun. The north side of the Play was a barber shop and shower room
and the south side housed a lunch counter and recreation parlor. Les
and Harm were both Barbers and worked out of the shop. This building,
which is now the Bottle Kap Studios, is owned by Harm’s great-nephew,
Karl Pratt. Besides eventually owning the Play, Harm was a Barber and
rural mail carrier. He was one of the individuals who brought cable TV
to Hoxie in the 80s, founding the cable company. Harm would do most
anything, but his main hobby was fishing. He was a member of American
Legion, Grinnell VFW, and Hoxie Elks. Harm was a member of the Honor
Flight that visited Washington, D.C. October 7-9, 2009. On Saturday,
October 16, 2019, Harm was honored with a Quilt of Valor to honor his
service to the United States. Above all, he loved his family very much.
Harm lived a long and storied life.
Harm is survived by his children, Ronald Briery (Georgia ) of
Norton, Pamela Bryant (Fred) of Bellevue, Washington, Debra Briery of
Kerrville, Texas, and Rick Briery (Diane) of Corvallis, Montana; six
grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews; and
friends.
He was preceded in death by wife, Cleo; his parents, Lester and Hazel Briery; brothers, Howard ”Bud” Briery and Lester Dean Briery; and sisters,
Helen Pratt and Harriet Neal.
A funeral service is planned for Thursday, December 10, 2020, 10:30
A.M., at the Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home. Interment will immediately
follow the service in the Hoxie City Cemetery. The Grinnell VFW Post
#2864 and Kansas Army National Guard will provide Military Honors .
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 from Noon until
6:00 P.M. The funeral and visitation are open to all who wish to
attend. The family thanks you for wearing a mask to the funeral.
Memorials are suggested to the Sheridan County Amusement Company-Hoxie or the Hoxie Main Street Arts Council. Memorials may be sent in care of Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, PO Box 987, Hoxie, Kansas 67740. Words of Comfort may be left at www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com.