Pamala E. Harlos

Pamala Elaine Harlos, 69, of La Crescent, MN passed away on Sunday, September 21, 2025 following a short battle with brain cancer. During her final days, she was surrounded by family, music, and memories. Her heart was filled with joy as she listened to family reminisce on years of memories while looking through Pam’s large collection of photo albums.

Pam was born on May 23, 1956, to Margaret (Privett) and Gerald Mormann. Affectionately known as “Poopsie,” she was the ninth of seventeen children. She grew up on a farm in rural La Crescent, where she spent her childhood swimming in the creek and making mudslides with her siblings. Pam’s heart and soul were forever tied to the land where she was raised.

Soon after graduating from La Crescent High School in 1974, a young man on a motorcycle started hanging around the farm with her brother, Tim -- the rest is history. Bruce and Pam were married on September 4th, 1976. They had a lot of friends and took many vacations in their van. They lived young, wild, and in love together.

In 1980, Pam became a mother. Jamie, her “Babe”, was born. In 1987, her daughter Melissa, “Missa”, was born. Pam embraced motherhood and wanted to instill her love for family and the land in her daughters. Sundays were spent on the farm with family. Christmases were large and loud. Summer nights often ended with Pam’s large extended family gathered around a bonfire or playing a game of cards.

Pam’s love for the land that she grew up on always remained in her heart. Eventually, Pam and Bruce followed through on one of their dreams and put a small cabin on the property. This was their happy place. Following Bruce’s passing in 2015, this is where Pam went to feel close to him.

Most recently, her greatest joy in life was becoming a grandma to Bruce and Brian. Being “Grandma Pam” was her favorite title. She was a very active grandma who shared many meals each week with her grandsons, took family trips, and in the end, even had the opportunity to live under the same roof as her grand-babies.

Pam is survived by her daughters, Jamie Harlos and Melissa (Brandon) McMann; her grandsons, Bruce and Brian McMann; her siblings, Nicholas Mormann, Rebecca (Dan) Krieger, Timothy (Peggy) Mormann, Colleen Mormann, Mark Mormann, Mathew Mormann, Peggy (Ronald) Stankey, Linda (Randy) Holthaus, Sandra (Phillip) Bautch, Jeffrey (Mary) Mormann, Deborah (Bradley) Rodda, and Gretchen (Dan) McLees; her sisters-in-law, Monica Mormann, Maxine Mormann, Effie Gilles, and Dixie Bonk-Hinnant; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended members of her late husband’s family, and dear friends, including Patty Justin and Robin Danielson.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce Harlos; her parents, Gerald and Margaret Mormann; her father and mother in-law, Everett and Joann Harlos; her siblings, David, Michael, William, and Mary Lou Mormann; her brothers-in-law, Mike Harlos, Steve Bonk, and Ron Stankey; her sisters-in-law, Joanne Harlos and Mary Mormann; her nephews, Duane Mormann and Brady McLees; and her niece, Janel Mill.

Pam was a dreamer, a lover of antiques and trinkets, devoted to researching and documenting family history, an artist and creator, a gardener, loved to camp and fish, and could make a mean batch of deviled eggs and homemade potato salad. Her greatest joys were found in life’s simple pleasures -- being surrounded by family and spending time on the land where she was raised. It is only fitting that she be laid to rest with a “celebration of life” on the land that gave her so much joy through all the stages of her life.

Pam was one of the hardest working people you could ever meet. They don’t make them like that anymore. Whatever needed to be done, Pam was there giving 110%. We are going to miss Pam deeply but take comfort in knowing that her heart is at peace and is back with Bruce.

A Celebration of Life will be held next summer, when Pam’s ashes will be spread on the family land alongside Bruce’s. Pam wanted a “picnic style celebration” when all her family could be there to celebrate the life she lived with food, games, and memories. Details will be shared at a later date.

Until we meet again — “See you later, alligator…”