Jayson Dean Harp, 53, passed away on July 27, 2026. He was born on February 25, 1973, to Shirley and Jim Harp. He was the oldest of four children and grew up on the family farm on Hidden Timber Road, a place owned by his grandparents and filled with hard work, family, and memories.

Growing up on the farm, Jayson learned early the meaning of hard work. He helped with milking cows, harvesting crops, and all the many chores that came with farm life. Those early years helped shape the man he would become—someone who could build just about anything, fix just about anything, and probably make it heavier than anyone thought possible.

Later in life, Jayson met Jen, and together they welcomed three children: Jakob, Mason, and Logan. Jayson worked for Welker Welding before going to work for Roger Quick at Valentine Machine and Manufacturing. While working for Roger, he also worked nights for the Joseph family at the Peppermill, and later spent a short time working at the Cedar Canyon. At each of these places, he worked as a cook, developing a passion that would become one of his favorite hobbies.

Jayson worked hard and eventually saved enough money from his jobs to purchase Valentine Machine and Manufacturing. His creativity, determination, and willingness to work hard were qualities that followed him throughout his life.

While working for Roger, Jayson met Crystal. The two spent 18 years together, including the last four years as husband and wife. Together they welcomed two more children, Austin and Tyler.

Jayson loved to cook—and he loved cooking for other people even more. If there was food involved, there was a good chance Jayson was going to turn it into an event. Whole pigs, alligators, and enough crawdads to feed an army were all fair game. He loved inviting people to gather around, eat, visit, and enjoy themselves. He also generously volunteered his time and cooking talents for the local car show.

Jayson was incredibly creative and talented when it came to building things. He made homemade smokers, a portable cooking trailer complete with **all the bells and whistles**, and creative fire pits. If you could imagine it, there was a pretty good chance Jayson could build it. There was just one small problem: Jayson tended to build everything out of metal, and his creations were often HEAVY. Very heavy. If Jayson built it, however, you could be pretty sure it was going to last.

Jayson enjoyed many things in life. He loved spending time at the lake and camping, collecting antiques, playing cribbage, and searching for the biggest rocks he could find—even if finding the perfect rock meant taking a road trip all the way to Wisconsin.

And then there was Dexter.

Wherever Jayson went, Dexter was never far behind. The two were practically inseparable. Dexter was more than a dog; he was Jayson’s constant companion and an important part of the family. In fact, Dexter even served as the ring bearer at Jayson and Crystal’s wedding—a job he presumably took very seriously.

Jayson will be remembered for his hardworking nature, creativity, generosity, sense of humor, love of cooking, and especially his love for his family and friends. He had a way of bringing people together, whether around a campfire, a card table, a plate of food, or one of his latest creations.

Jayson was preceded in death by his parents, Shirley and Jim Harp, and his infant brother, James (JD).

He leaves behind his children, Jakob of New York, Mason of Omaha, Logan of Omaha, Austin of Valentine, and Tyler Harp of Valentine; his brothers, Ashley of Omaha and Kevin of Valentine; his niece, Kailyn, and nephew, Garrett, both of Omaha; along with many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and loved ones.

Jayson leaves behind more than memories. He leaves behind things he built, meals he cooked, stories that will be told for years to come, rocks that probably still need to be moved, and countless people who were lucky enough to sit around his table and share in the laughter.

His legacy will live on through his children, his family, his friends, and all the lives he touched. And somewhere, we can imagine Jayson is probably building something out of steel, cooking enough food for fifty people, and wondering why everyone else thinks his latest project is too heavy.

He will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and never forgotten.