Harris Tinklenberg was born September 13, 1931 to Peter & Jennie Tinklenberg in the Edgerton Minnesota area, where he was raised and received his education. He entered the US Army in 1952, was wounded in action in Korea and was honorably discharged with a purple heart in April 1954.

On December 4, 1953 he was united in marriage to Rena Mulder. They lived their entire married life in Edgerton. He worked first as a plumber and electrician, then as a carpenter & mason.  After that he was a custodian and bus driver for Edgerton Christian Elementary School for more than 25 years. In his retirement years he found great joy in wood working, spending countless hours in his work shop. He and Rena loved going camping and fishing together. Harris was a lifetime member of the Bethel Christian Reformed Church.

On September 16, 2013, Harris entered the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne, Minnesota where he remained a resident until November 2, 2013, when he passed away at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

He leaves his wife, Rena; five children: Donna (Perry) Wieland of Willmar, MN, Daryl (friend Vicki) of Edgerton, Roxine (Walt) Smidt of rural Edgerton, Harlan (Dawn) Tinklenberg of Edgerton, Loren (Jean) Tinklenberg of Pipestone, MN; 14 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

He was preceeded in death by his parents; sister, Helen; brothers, Bertus, Adrian, and Arnold; as well as two grandchildren, Christopher and Tia.