Harold Lee Haun

Harold Lee Haun, 83, passed away March 30, 2024, at Council Grove Diversicare. Harold was born in Lyons, Kansas on April 22, 1940, the first child of Jessie and Lee Marquis Haun, the 5^th generation of Morris County Hauns. He was raised as a farm boy around Kelso, Kansas. His dad, Lee, was a teacher and coach at Dwight and White City, which may have had something to do with Harold’s athletic prowess. He excelled at all sports, with a special aptitude for speed which led to his college buddies nicknaming him “Turtle.”

Harold entered K-State on a football scholarship in 1958 and played halfback for the Wildcats’ football team. He also led their baseball team in hitting with a batting average of .328, and lettered in both baseball and football, which was quite the feat. He was offered a contract by the Kansas City Athletics (Oakland As) but turned it down to play football. However, a serious concussion ended his football career and he turned to the practice of law, graduating from KU Law School in 1967.

During his college years, Harold married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Erikson, and they had their first child, Kathleen Rene, in 1962. After graduating with a J.D. degree, Harold and family made their way to Council Grove where he began his law practice (1967-1986), served as County Attorney, and involved himself in many organizations and activities. In 1972, his son, Douglas Lee, was born. His law practice flourished, and he had a number of high-profile cases and clients, arguing nine cases before the Kansas Supreme Court and winning six of them. 

In 1986 he accepted a position as General Counsel with Kansas Electric Power Cooperative (KEPCo) in Topeka where he remained until his retirement in 2006.

Along with his profession as an attorney, Harold was a self-taught photographer and videographer/editor. He was also very interested in history and genealogy, and often combined these interests by producing videos with local historical stories and interviews with community members. He also had quite a sense of humor, creating short videos for fun. One of these was a satirical look at Topeka’s “favorite son” Fred Phelps, arranged with the song “At the Zoo” by Simon and Garfunkel, which won a local video award. He called his “production company” GAFO, which stands for “Great And Fearless One.” 

Harold was diagnosed with dementia around 2017 and continued to navigate the last years of his life with a response he’d always given anyone when asked how he was: he’d cheerfully say, “Still lucky!” 

Surviving family members are his children, Kathleen and Douglas, his sister, Meredith, his brother, John, wife Mary, and his niece, Wendy.

Details about a celebration of life event will be announced at a further time. 

Because preserving history and genealogy were important to him, donations may be made in his honor to the Morris County Historical Society and may be sent in care of Sawyer Funeral Home, PO Box 273, Council Grove, KS, 66846.