By Forrest Newton
WINNEMUCCA - Watching ones efforts turn into places where people work, play and live over the years gives a person a certain amount of satisfaction that they can take with them into retirement. Roy Harrer is one of those people.
Born in Sacramento, Calif., on May 5, 1930, the 81-year-old's hands may have touched the home you live in or the business you work at as he has been involved in painting and building in Winnemucca for over 50 years.
His family left Sacramento when Harrer was about 6 years old and moved to Winnemucca. But the day Japan struck Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, the Harrer family was moving to La Mesa, Calif., just a few miles outside San Diego where his dad became one of those involved in the war effort working on ships, including a cement boat.
"The first one that left the coast sank - they got better," he said, laughing. "They'd tow 'em and use 'em for a barge."
After getting moved into their new home the first thing his dad did was buy his 11-year-old son a mare named Silver. In one place they lived his dad, Whitey, used a big palm tree for the horse's stable.
"I bet I had my horse there three or four months before anyone even knew I had a horse," Harrer said. "He (dad) trimmed it out like a barn."
But things do change and he said that the last time he was down there, La Mesa was no more. It was all San Diego.
Harrer eventually moved back to Winnemucca when he was about 17 or 18 and spent a few months cowboying at the White Horse Ranch in Oregon until deciding that was not for him.
"My brother Jack was painting there and they needed a cowboy, so he told them I might qualify," Harrer said.
The youngest of five children, he insists that he was not terribly spoiled.
"Not too bad," he said. So he moved back to Winnemucca and this time for keeps.
Harrer then began to follow in his father's footsteps, in what was to become his career of painting and carpentry, by working with his brother Jack, who was already making a name for himself in the building trades.
Over the years he has worked a lot for himself, hiring out his expertise to those who needed his help. But carpentry and painting were not the only ways he has put food on the family's table. In his early years on his own, the entrepreneur got hold of a truck and a hay loader and delivered hay and railroad ties to folks.
If I was painting and carpentering, the railroad ties I usually did at night. It was a sideline," he said.
Because of his knowledge of the various woods and paints, Harrer said there was never a problem of having work to do as there was plenty of it, including the Scott Shady Court Motel and Winnemucca Grammar School, either working for himself or others like his brother Jack, Tony Costa or Melvin McCoy.
Harrer was about 21 years old when one day he saw a young lady he knew from his work at the Humboldt County Courthouse walking down the street. He jumped in his car and caught up to her using his best pick-up line.
"If you don't get in, I'm going to run over you!" he said.
So rather than get tire tread marks on her clothes, Kathryn English got in. He wined and dined her with such irresistible items as chocolate cokes at the Sonoma Inn (now the Winnemucca Inn) along with movies and dancing during the next six months until the county clerk's office employee was won over by her Romeo and said yes. They celebrated their 60th anniversary March 15.
That union brought two children into the world, Leo Harrer and Susan Harrer. Leo is a rancher living in Orovada and Susan followed her mother into the Humboldt County clerk's office and after 20 years retired as the county clerk.
Eventually the newlyweds moved into a house that they had relocated to from Golconda to Debra Lane. They set it on two acres purchased from his brother Jack and it's still their home today.
"I gave my brother 200 railroad ties for the ground," Harrer said. "They were worth a dollar a piece."
Health knocked out his ability to continue working some years ago, but that hasn't spoiled his appreciation for a good job well done.
When he first moved into Harmony Manor a few months ago, one of the first things he noticed was how well finished the ceilings were and thought he might have done them. But after checking he discovered the building was only about 25 years old and his work on the old hospital was about 50 years ago, but quality is quality.
"This is a beautiful job here," he said.
But even with the fine construction at Harmony Manor Harrer is looking forward to moving back home as soon as he can get himself together.
He reminisced that he has had a good life. He has had the opportunity to work whenever he wanted to and his family has gotten along well.
"Never made too much money, but we did OK," Harrer said. "I have a good wife and good kids."
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