Harlan G. Sanderson, 74, passed away in Eastman, Wis., Nov. 27, 2017. There will be no visitation or funeral services. Memorials in his name may be submitted to the organization of the mourners’ choice. Condolences may be left with graufuneralhomes.com. Thornburg – Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Prairie du Chien, Wis., was in charge of arrangements.

Harlan was born Aug. 29, 1943, in Ridgeway. At age 17, he joined the U.S. Navy and attained second class AO (aircraft ordinance) rank, having served from 1961-64, including service on the U.S.S. Midway from 1963-64. He graduated in 1969 from Luther College in Decorah, and married Connie M. (Peterson) Sanderson ’69 on June 21 of that same year. Later, he earned a master’s degree in library science at the University of Iowa (Iowa City) and in 1975, a master’s in audio visual media from the University of Wisconsin (La Crosse).

He worked in the library at Luther College for 31 years, from 1969-2000, becoming an associate professor media librarian. Harlan also taught photography courses at Luther and exhibited his work locally. His photographs appeared in a variety of publications.

In 1980, Harlan and Connie purchased the Eagle Point Trailer Court on the Mississippi River in the countryside near Lynxville, Wis., and they retired to an adjoining property homestead, Eagle Mound, in 2000. In 2010, at the age of 67, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Harlan was a quiet man who grew up on a century farm in Iowa and loved the land and nature, and his numerous dogs and cats. He was an avid fisherman, coin collector and gunsmith, though not a hunter.

His survivors are his sister, Shirley (Allan) Meister, Riverside, Calif.; and Shirley’s children, Terry (Melinda) Meister, Riverside, Calif. and Kathy (George) Williams, Oxnard, Calif.; his brother-in-law, Larry (Lois) Gunhus, Decorah, and his children, Valerie Gunhus ‘91, Waukon, and Kristi Lepa, Cresco; his sister-in-law, Nancy (William Ng) Peterson, Winona, Minn.; and his aunt, Evelyn (Curtis) Peterson, Madison, Wis.; grand-nieces and nephews include Alex and Nikki Meister, Riverside, Calif.; Anna and Scott Putnam, Ogden, Utah; Shawn Melin, Chino Hills, Calif.; Brian and Lucy Melin, Riverside, Calif.; and Beirgen Gunhus, Waukon; and a cousin, Valerie Anderson, Knoxville, Tenn.

He was preceded by his wife, Connie (Peterson) Sanderson ‘69, and her parents, Roy and Margaret Peterson, Eastman, Wis.; his parents, Alton and Vivian Sanderson, Ridgeway; his sister, Virginia (Larry) Gunhus, Decorah; and his nephew, Bruce Gunhus, Fort Worth, Texas.