Harvey was born May 8, 1927, in Searsboro, Iowa, to Harvey and Rachel Mason Mikel, Sr. He graduated from Grinnell High School with the class of 1946. Later in life he received an Associate Degree in Computer and Business Science from the Business Institute of Technology in Waterloo. During the Korean War he was drafted as a conscientious objector and served as a medic transporting the wounded from the front lines of combat. On September 2, 1953, he was married to Mary Lou Ebert. The couple farmed in Chester Township and he also worked as a popular school bus driver in the Grinnell-Newburg School District. The couple also lived in Rockport, Texas and Glendale, Arizona. Harvey was a member of the First Friends Church in Grinnell and served as a church clerk, elder, trusteee, Sunday school teacher, greeter, and usher. He was also a member of the Grinnell Rotary Club, the IOOF Lodge, and was an active member of Farm Bureau, where he served in various positions. He was a former member of the Poweshiek County Zoning Commission and the Grinnell School Board. He had a lifetime interest in traveling and enjoyed visits to family in Spain, Nigeria, England and Mexico. He also enjoyed hosting international students from Grinnell College, as well as Rotary International students. He was an avid reader, a strong advocate of education and supported his children and their endeavors. Survivors include his wife, Mary Lou; his children, Linda (Caleb) Hess of Bloomington, Indiana, Elaine (Magnus) Jolayemi of Phoenix, Martha (Yang) Hong of West Windsor, New Jersey, and Glen (Susan) Mikel of Des Moines; twelve grandchildren, Aaron, Ben, Abram, Emily, Brandon and Lexy Hess, Fred and Pat Jolayemi, Kris and Lydia Hong, and Jarrid and Taylor Mikel; one brother, Wilford (Agnes) Mikel of Grinnell, and one sister, Eleanor Mikel of Montezuma. His parents, an infant sister, Pauline; and infant twin grandsons, Cory and Adam Mikel preceded him in death.