Obituary
Funeral services for Harrie Black, 87, of Portales, will be held at 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, February 11, 2020, at the First Presbyterian Church with Karen Kibbe and Gracy Stone officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Wylie Teel, Wayne Parkinson, Mills Bickley, John Gentry, Jerry Parkinson and Jim Smith serving as pallbearers. The American Legion Honor Guard will be honorary pallbearers.
The family will receive friends at the church at 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday, February 11, 2020.
Harrie Black was born on September 8, 1932, in McCool, Mississippi to the home of Margaret Ann (Hodge) and Oliver Malcom Black and died on February 7, 2020 in Portales, NM. He attended schools in Attala County, Mississippi and graduated from Thomas Town High School. Harrie joined the Air Force right after graduation and did his basic training in San Antonio. He did some more training in Chanute, Illinois and then returned to Kelley Air Force Base in San Antonio.
Harrie and Wilma first started out as pen pals until November of 1952 when they met in person for the first time…it was love at first sight. From 1952 to 1954, Harrie was stationed in Japan and during that time he and Wilma saw each other for only fourteen days total. They got married on November 21, 1954 in Milnesand, NM.
Harrie then went to Sacramento, CA, and in 1955 moved to Cannon Air Force Base, then in 1963, to Hunter Air Force Base in Georgia. In 1966, Harrie was sent to Vietnam and then to Mountain View, Idaho, and later back to Japan…this time Wilma went with him. In 1970, they went to the Philippines and then to Altus, Oklahoma and Harrie finally retired and moved to Portales in 1974.
After his retirement from the Air Force, Harrie drove a milk truck and delivered Borden’s milk for fifteen years. He later worked for Loyd Banks and then for Otis and Doris Newman and when they retired, he retired as well.
Harrie is survived by his brother, Wayne Black and his sister, Helen Smith. He was preceded in death by his wife Wilma Black, his parents, two brothers, Kenneth and Edmond Black and three sisters, Shirley Fay Lindell, Ruth McGee and Lucille Sewright.
