Daniel Luke Harbert was born July 1,1952, in Mitchell, South Dakota to Wendall and Mildred Strand Harbert.

Dan's family lived on several different farms close to Mitchell while his father struggled to get a start in farming after serving in the Navy during the war.  When Dan was a toddler, the dream of farming evaporated and his father went to work for the railroad as a depot agent.  This change brought many moves. The first move was to Arvada, CO, and then to Bartley, Beaver City, and Oxford, NE, and finally to Brush CO.  Dan attended school in Brush through his junior year. At that time his folks moved to Elsie, NE. He spent his senior year at Madrid Wheatland High School in Perkins County NE.

Dan may have been the youngest of the four Harbert children, but he was by no means the spoiled baby of the family.  He was a cute, happy little kid who didn't cause much trouble. Except once. The family had moved to Arvada so that Wendall could qualify to work for the railroad. They were living in a Quonset hut----one room and a bathroom with cement floors. Toddler Dan was in his crib wanting his bottle refilled.  With an unusual burst of impatience, threw the glass bottle out of the crib breaking it to pieces. It was the last bottle he ever had as there was no money for another. The family remembered that day as the day Dan threw a fit!

Dan enjoyed being outside. When the family moved to Brush, they lived in the country close to an irrigation ditch.  In the late fall, his adventures took him to the empty ditch where he dug up a big old turtle. Of course, he had to take it to Show and Tell.  There was no stopping him.  When he boarded the school bus with his big box, the bus driver/science teacher Mr. Mercer, tried to dissuade him as the turtle was a snapping turtle.  The stubborn little boy won out with Mr. Mercer warning him not to let the turtle warm up and not to leave it at the school.

In 1973 Dan married Judy Milburn.  Together they had two children, Wesley and Sara.

After his marriage to Judy, they moved back to Brush and went to work for his father-in-law Gene Milburn who had a fuel delivery service. It was Dan's job to keep the farmer customers happy and supplied with fuel.  Later he attended classes to become a mud engineer and delivered mud to the drilling rigs in the surrounding area.  He also worked for Lefever Construction and Schmeeckle Construction running cement crews and spent time in Oregon working as a forest firefighter.

In 1996 Dan married Penny Toft. With this marriage his family grew, adding her children Brandy, Michael,and Julie.

In 2006 he started as a ditch rider for Bijou Irrigation Co. The job had challenges, but he enjoyed living in the country. He could watch his red-tailed hawks and other wildlife and take his beloved dog May with him.

Dan retired in 2014 and moved back to Brush.  He was a soft hearted person who loved his family. He was proud of his wife, children, and grandchildren.  Dan never really asked for much.  He just wanted to get along. His kind soul and twinkling blue eyes will be missed.

On March 12, 2025, Dan's long and painful battle with COPD ended.

He is survived by his wife Penny, children Wes (Laura) Harbert of Burn Bridge England, Sara (Matt) Michael, of Littleton, CO, Brandy Orme of Holdrege NE, Michael (Ashley) Toft of Peetz, CO, Julie (Mitch) Blake of Hillrose, CO, Nine Grandchildren: Owen, Cameron and Lachlan Harbert, Wyatt and Odin Michael, Trevor (Leigha) Toft, Roslyn and Taos Toft, Max Blake, Sister Laurie (Gene) Schroder of Campo, CO, Mother-in-law, Rose Reitz of Brush, CO, along with several nieces, nephews and friends.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred and Wendall Harbert, brother Tom, sister Coleen, father-in-law Sonny, and son-in-law Brent.