ROCKVILLE — Lawrence “Melvin” Harmless, 73, of Rockville, passed away in the early morning hours on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014. He was born Nov. 18, 1940, in Parke County, the son of Harris Melvin Harmless and Eileen DePlanty Harmless Shinn. 

He was a 1958 graduate of Rockville High School. He was raised and spent his early adulthood working on the family farm with his father and grandfather in the New Discovery neighborhood in Parke County. After leaving the family farm Melvin was employed by Custom Farm Services, where he became involved with the evaluation of farm crop nutrient response and uptake. From 1973 to 1983, he returned to the family farm to co-manage Harmless Farms and also had his own agronomy consulting company. He also worked at the WAXI radio station in Rockville, as one of their morning DJs. After 1983, Melvin became an agronomist and crop troubleshooter for Garst/Syngenta Seed Company in Des Moines, Iowa. Upon his retirement from Garst /Syngenta, he and his wife returned to Indiana, to be closer to their families. He was known as the “lawn ranger in Iowa”. Mel took pride in how nice his yard looked and was always working or puttering in the yard. Mel always said he was in charge of seed and weeds — God’s in charge of flowers and trees. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; and a granddaughter, Megan Wade.

Melvin is survived by his wife, Olive; daughter, Terri L. Magtoto; son, Bradley Coleman; son, Lawrence Randell “Randy” Harmless (Brenda); daughter, Kimberlee Harmless Wade; stepdaughter, Laura Bowen; stepson, Dale “Rusty” Calvert; grandchildren, Christianna Griffin (Joe), James Magtoto, and Mariah Magtoto, Andrew Harmless; Adam Harmless, Jacob Wade, Tiffany Corser, Landon Schick, Leah Schick, DJ. Leitner  and Charles “Bronson” Calvert; eight great-grandchildren; a sister, Roseanna Spencer; and a brother, Malcolm Harmless.

No public viewing is scheduled. Cremation was chosen, under the direction of the Neptune Society in Indianapolis. A celebration of life will be at a later date.