BRUCE A. HARRIS

I was born in Des Moines, Iowa, July 1, 1952, to Bill and Shirley Harris. They both grew up in Des Moines on the east side. I have an older brother, Bill, seven years older, and three years later we were joined by a younger brother, Brad, and another brother, Bob, 12 years later.

I attended Holy Trinity School first through eighth grade. I was an altar boy and received the Sierra Club Altar Boy of the Year award. I went to Dowling for four years, an all boy's school in the middle of Des Moines. I graduated seventh in my class and received a presidential scholarship to attend St. Ambrose College where I majored in biology. After three years I transferred to the University of Iowa Dental School where I graduated in 1977.

From four or five years on I had severe asthma, which limited what I could do at night, and during the day I would have asthma attacks. I had to have weekly asthma shots. This also limited my size so when I started high school, I weighed about 85 pounds. Pretty small.

Sports were always an important part of my life and have continued to be. When we were kids we had a pool table in the basement and a ping pong table. Our backyard was the site of many softball and football games. We always had a basket up so we played basketball. Depending on the seasons, we played accordingly. We bicycled up to the parks, so there were swimming, playing hockey and skating — lots normal kids' type things.

Because I wasn't very big — maybe because I wasn't very good, I didn't play any sports in high school or at the college level but always played intramurals for fun. I played softball and basketball until I was in my 40s.

I continued to ride my bike. I have been on RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) three times, been on a couple longer trips and lots of three and four day trips on my own. Once I biked back with a friend from Estes Park, Colorado to Iowa and another time from the Madeline Islands on Lake Superior back to Iowa.

I started skiing when I was in high school, going to Colorado two or three times a year. I would say I am an expert skier. I keep getting better at that. I've won a lot of silver medals in Nastar competition and have one gold medal. I've been playing tennis a little more seriously for the last five years. Mickey Thomas got me started in that and I have been playing in Des Moines. Last year we qualified to go with the team to the Regional Tournament in St. Louis.

Music has been a big part of my life. I started playing guitar when I was about 13 years old. The first song I learned was "Gloria." I continue to play guitar, getting together with friends. I play guitar, banjo, mandolin and harmonica.

After I graduated from dental school, I moved to Osceola in 1980, and started my practice. I've lived here ever since. I was married twice, with no children. I have been on the A.E.A. (Area Education Association) Board, the Clarke County Public Health Board, the Extension Council, the City Council, the Water Board, Clarke County Development Board, and I am a former Rotary member.

Return to main page for Recipes for Living 2008 by Fern Underwood

Last Revised October 14, 2014