Justin Harper

Justin “Chub” Harper died unexpectedly Sunday, March 29th, in Colorado Springs,CO. FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE INVITED TO TAKE PART IN A CELEBRATION OF LIFE ON MAY 13TH, AT 1:00 P.M. AT THE QUAD CITY BOTANICAL CENTER, 2425 FOURTH AVENUE, ROCK ISLAND, IL. Justin “Chub” Chandler Harper was born July 14, 1928 in Lincoln, NE. the son of Floyd Harper and Eda Kelley. He married Anna Louise Rosane June 18th 1949 in Lincoln. Chub and Anna enjoyed traveling and traveled around the world twice visiting 52 countries. Anna died in 2004. After his graduation from Lincoln High School he joined the United States Marine Corp where he spent his entire tour of duty in North China. In 1952 he graduated from the University of Nebraska with a B.Sc. degree in Agriculture. He was employed as the Milk Sanitarian for the City of Moline Health Department until 1958. While working for the city of Moline he attended the American Landscape School in Des Moines, Iowa and the University Of Illinois School Of Horticulture. He was then a landscape designer salesman for various nurseries in the Quad Cities and then owned and operated his own lawn maintenance business. Following this he was employed as the Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, where he set the standard, for Deere & Company, at the John Deere World Headquarters in 1963. He was awarded the “Grounds Manager of the Year” award in 1983 by the Professional Grounds Management Society. He retired from Deere in 1987 after 24 years of service. Chub was a member of the American Horticulture Society, American Rose Society, American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, American Iris Society, Professional Grounds Management Society, Davenport Horticultural Society, International Shade Tree Conference, Rock Island County 4-H Education Foundation, and the American Hosta Society. He was a founding member of the American Conifer Society where he served as President. He was on the board of directors at the Bickelhaupt Arboretum in Clinton, Iowa where he designed, donated and helped install “The Heartland Collection of Dwarf and Rare Conifers”. In 2000 he donated 50 rare conifers to the Quad City Botanical Center. With the help of the Davey Tree Company in 1980 he donated 340 dwarf and rare conifers from his Moline residence to Michigan State University at Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, Michigan. He actively maintained this collection until the time of his death. Memorials may be made to “Michigan State University”, with code #AB8437 written in the memo area. This signifies the “Harper Endowment Fund” which Chub set up in 1992 to maintain this world class garden. Memorials may also be sent to the Wendt Funeral Home for delivery to the Harper Endowment Fund via the family. Survivors include his daughter: Mona Lee Harper of Helena, MT; sisters: Joyce (Wayne) Ward of Lakewood, CO, and Joann (Jaydee) Yearous of Apple Valley, MN; brothers: Judson (Pat) Harper of Ft. Collins, CO, and Jared (Elena) Harper of Athens, GA; a special nephew, Jan (Donna) Harper of Cedar Rapids, IA, and many other nieces and nephews; special friends: Jo Ann Jay, Ray, Lona, Rich, Susie, Dennis, Carole, Betsy, Rick and Teresa Holmquist, and his pets, Molly and Spiff. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife: Anna, an infant daughter: Justina Ann, a brother: James, and a sister: Judy Summerbell.