Ivan Earl Harris, the 7th child of Samuel and Mahalia Harris was born in Onalaska, Wash., on July 18, 1924. On April 4, 2013 at the age of 88, he was promoted to his heavenly home where he met his beloved Jesus face to face and was reunited with many loved ones. Ivan grew up in Onalaska, Cosmopolis and Chehalis, Wash. He graduated from Chehalis High School. He lost both parents by the age of nine, and was lovingly raised by his eldest brother, Jesse and sister-in-law, Marge. In 1942, he left shipyard work to join the Army. After basic training in radar, he was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines. There he checked planes for identification. He had many stories of his time there. By God's grace, he and all his brothers made it home alive from WWII. Following his return from war, Ivan attended WSU and received a degree in horticulture. While at WSU, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior, through the ministry of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. This led him to change the course of his life, and following graduation from WSU, he attended Multnomah Bible College (now Multnomah University) for 3 years. Upon graduation from Multnomah, he became a career missionary with Africia Inland Mission International, working in Tanzania, East Africa from 1955 until 1988. Ivan was ordained as a minister in Tanzania and he met his wife, Florence in his early years there. They were married in Mwanza, Tanzania on Sept. 24, 1959. They had one daughter. As a missionary, Ivan established Christian bookstores, taught Bible classes in elementary and high schools, ran a guest house, preached, baptized, wrote curriculum for a Bible school and taught in Bible schools/colleges. He was often the local ambulance service, also. He was fluent in both Kiswahili and Kisukuma. The African people were always close to his heart and his love for them and Tanzania never faded. Upon retirement in 1988, Ivan and Florence settled in Rochester, Wash., and Ivan ministered through teaching, preaching, visiting the home bound, being janitor and working with the Awana program at Central Bible Evangelical Free Church in Centralia, Wash., where he was a charter member. He served there faithfully until 2010, when he moved to Oak Harbor, Wash., to be near his daughter and grandkids. At Harbor Tower Village, in Oak Harbor, where he lived, Ivan blessed residents and staff alike with his love and smile. He enjoyed his "family" there and loved to play Bingo and go on outings. Ivan loved being with his family, ministering for Jesus and gardening. He enjoyed reading, visiting with people and listening to his favorite TV preachers and attending the Chehalis Sr. Center. He loved children, especially his five grandkids and he shared Jesus' love with everyone he met. Though, not rich financially, he faithfully gave of his resources to Christian ministries and mission trips his grandkids went on. Studying and reading the Bible and prayer were priorities in his life and it showed in his kindness, humility and love toward all. He took the advice of a senior missionary and took everything in his stride. Troubles didn't win over him, he stood tall through them, often blessing others in the midst of his own pain. He has touched many lives for the better and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Ivan was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Florence Harris, all six of his brothers, one sister and his parents. He is survived by his older sister, Silva Strasser of Centralia, his daughter, Grace and husband, Willard Michael of Freeland, Wash., five grandkids, Joanna Call (Jake), Stephen Hefflinger, Jon Hefflinger (Kelley), Ann Hefflinger, David Hefflinger and numerous other extended family and friends. A memorial service to celebrate Ivan's life will be held at 3:00 p.m. on April 13, 2013 at Shoestring Valley Church, 104 Fraser Rd., Onalaska, Wash. Arrangements under the care of Newell-Hoerling's Mortuary, Centralia.