Harlan was born November 27, 1916, in the small farming town of Maquoketa, Iowa. He was the second youngest of the five. Harlan's father and mother, Louis and Frieda Moeller, were German immigrants. They owned a grocery store and worked very hard to support their family through the depression. They were very thrifty and drilled into Harlan "If you can't pay cash for something- you can't afford it!!" He learned that lesson well and passed it on to his family.

In order to play sports at a big high school and see the ever-growing sights of California, he left home at age 15 and lived with his oldest and only sister Jean. They lived in Huntington Park and he went to high school there. Harlan was a star basketball, baseball, and football player. He was also on the golf team and in the Glee Club. He lettered in all varsity sports and received an award for never missing a day of high school at graduation.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, Harlan was in line waiting to enlist. He was in the U.S. Navy and fought proudly for his country in WWII over in a heated combat zone of Okinawa. While delivering supplies, a bomb went off behind him, which would alter his life forever.

After the war, he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as a brakeman, conductor, and engineer.

Harlan loved music and ballroom dancing. At a dance, he met the perfect woman and wife. Harlan married Wilda. They were best friends for 60 years before her death in 2008. They received a blessed surprise at age 40 and 42- the birth of their only child, Janice Moeller-Hjelm. He was very close to his daughter who lovingly cared for him, most of her life due to the wartime injury. Janice always know what Harlan was thinking, feeling, and needed when he lost the ability to communicate in later years.

Harlan and Wilda moved to Lompoc in 1994 to be close to Janice. At age 82, his first granddaughter was born. He loved watching her dance and listening to her music. Harlan lived with his daughter and supporting cast and buddies - son-in-law Ben Hjelm, caregiver supreme Lupe, and of course Dana Hjelm. Also his ball playing buddy- Elmo the dog.

God was with Harlan and peacefully took him to be with his wife as he slept. A kind, gentle and caring man had the perfect ending for his life on earth.

A graveside service with military honors will be held on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 11am at the Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery.