Herbert Hark

Herbert August Hark was born on December 2, 1925, at the weight of 8 lbs. Son of Walter Richard and Lulu Peters Hark, at the farm address of 3213 Hwy. 8, northwest of Dysart Iowa. In 1930 his father, Walter bought the farm at 1720 X Ave. They loaded everything up and moved not noticing they left Herb behind and had to go back and get him. On Herb’s 16th birthday, he got his driver’s license, and always having an interest in airplanes, he went to his first flying instruction in a J-3 Cub at Livingston Field in Waterloo. He had planned to continue flying lessons, but on the 7th was the attack on Pearl Harbor, so no more lessons at this time. Having enough credits to graduate high school, he left one term early and on February 19, 1944 he went to Des Moines to be induced into the Navy V-5 starting with one term of college at Northwest Missouri State Teachers college at Marryville, Mo. Then he would move on to pre-flight. But then the war was going better, and they didn’t need as many pilots, so he was reassigned into Engineering School at Great Lakes and on to Diesel school in Richmond, VA. While in Richmond, he went to the Hermitage Airport for more flying lessons and soloed at 8 hours, and flew solo for another 2 hours. Then he went on to PT school at Boston, Mass. and MTB school at Melville, RI. He graduated with orders to join a squadron in the Pacific. He went to Pearl Harbor, Tubabao in the Philippine Islands, Manila Bay Cavite Naval base, Subic Bay, received his 3rd Class Motor Machinist’s rating and back to Manila Bay. After the Navy days ended, Herb went home to take over the farm. He took more dual flight instruction and bought a 1949 Taylorcraft airplane. He put in a landing strip on the farm and his airstrip was put on the Iowa map and became known as the Dysart Airport. In the following years, the 4th graders of Dysart Elementary School would take field trips to see his airport

In 1947, Herb went to a Memorial Day dance at the Dysart Community Building and met Virginia Mae Wieck, daughter of Paul and Edna Uridil Wieck from Traer, Iowa. They were married on August 12, 1948 in Traer, Iowa. They had two children, Susan Patricia Hark was born on February 17, 1950 and James Jay Hark was born on February 5, 1954

Through the years, he has owned several J-3 Cubs, a Cessna 170, and a damaged Cesina 140, which he rebuilt, and a Temco Swift, which he also rebuilt. His last flight time logged was June 25, 1967 with a total of 1045 hours logged and about 1000 more hours not logged.

Herb was a man of many hobbies. He bought damaged Airstream trailers and rebuilt them, as well as two pick-up campers, two Bee Line trailers, two Superior motor homes, one being new and a new Airstream trailer. Herb also built a cabin cruiser boat from scratch and a surf board. He used the campers to go to The Red Coconut camp ground in Fort Meyers Beach, Fl. and to Colorado where he had a mining claim on top of Mt. Anterio, where he found aqua marine and topaz crystals. One aqua marine crystal from that sight was valued at $40,000. His basement was full of crystals and rocks, which he donated to the Dysart High School when he moved on to wood carving. After wood carving, he did wild life photography. In 1993, he moved on to family genealogy.

Herbert August Hark passed away on June 24, 2021 at the age of 95 at Rosewood Estates, in Waterloo, Iowa. Herbs wife Virginia, preceded him in death on December 3, 2013. Herbert is survived by his daughter, Susan English of Apache Junction, AZ and his son James Hark of Waterloo, IA. Herb is also survived by his sister, Thelma Brandt of Dysart, IA, and Herb is survived by six grandchildren: Michelle Fuller of Mesa, AZ; Sherry Papworth of Goodyear, AZ; Nicolle Amalfitano of Gilbert, AZ; Laurie Curbow of Keller, TX; Melissa Hark of Cedar Rapids, IA; Andrea Mckiernan, of Traer, IA. and twelve great grandchildren.