Wendell Harold Harmon was born in Waverly, Iowa, in 1910. In 1932, he earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Iowa State College, now known as Iowa State University. He graduated during the Depression with no job prospects. In 1933, he and Florence Elizabeth Thuirer were married. That same year, the couple moved to a homestead near Elk City, Oregon, and began operating a tree farm on the land. In 1935, Harmon accepted a job with the U.S. Forest Service. Though he worked largely in South Dakota, the Harmons kept the homestead in Oregon, dividing their time between the two places. After Wendell H. Harmon's death in 1999, an endowed research fellowship in forestry management was created in the Harmons’ name at Iowa State University.

Florence Elizabeth Harmon, nee Thuirer, was born in Summit, Iowa, in 1909. In 1931, she earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics from Iowa State College, now Iowa State University. After graduating, she became a teacher. In 1933, she and Wendell Harold Harmon were married. That same year, the couple moved to a homestead near Elk City, Oregon, and began operating a tree farm on the land. After Wendell H. Harmon’s death in 1999, an endowed research fellowship in forestry management was created in the Harmons’ name at Iowa State University. Florence E. Harmon died in 2010.