Harvey Jay Chamberlin

Harvey was born on November 26th, 1935 to Harvey and Janice Chamberlin in a little town called Roscoe, Nebraska. Harvey often shared the tale of his birth, how he was born in the back of that small town grocery store. The Chamberlin name is still posted at the top of that vacant store today. Harvey’s father was a pastor, the family moved to several different towns in Nebraska during his childhood. At one point Harvey lived in a small town only 6 miles from where Karen lived, Harvey’s entire family would go to that town to get their hair cut.

In his early teen years his family moved to Higgins, Texas where he helped on a family owned hatchery that was destroyed by a tornado. His father died from injuries caused by that same tornado in 1949. This tragedy led to his having to spend time with his Mother’s sister and husband in Texas. His Mother eventually found work back in North Platte, Nebraska as a Social worker. Harvey told of how they never knew when they returned home from school at night if there would be another child at the table. In 1953 Harvey graduated from North Platte High School. After graduation he worked for about a year at the University of Nebraska agriculture department.

In his early adulthood Harvey attended Rocky Mountain Bible Institute in Denver, CO. His former Pastor at North Platte, NE moved to Orleans, NE and when he found out Karen was making plans to attend Rocky Mountain Bible institute he insisted Karen meet Harvey. After they met they didn't speak for 6 months, when Karen asked him to a church party, and that was the beginning of their love story.

Harvey and Karen married in Orleans, Nebraska on December 16th 1956. In their early years of marriage they lived in Denver, Colorado where they welcomed their first two children. In 1961 they moved to Cozad, Nebraska where they welcomed two more children to become a family of six. In 1964 Harvey and his brother Don flipped a coin; heads for Houston, Texas; tails for Minneapolis, Minnesota. That coin landed on tails; Harvey and Karen relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he worked as a machinist for Twin City Automatics for many years.

Their fifth child was born in 1973 when the family lived in Coon Rapids where they lived for many years. As a young family they spent summer vacations camping at US Forest Service campgrounds, and eventually on canoe trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the longest trip being three weeks. He was a 4-H leader and had many hobbies he shared with his kids and others; photography(including a dark room), electric kits to build radios, rock hunting, mushroom hunting, enjoying poetry, enameling, cooking, and making christmas candy.

In 1976 they relocated to Deerwood, Minnesota when he took a job with Deerwood Automatic Products and worked there for several years. On November 22nd, 1979 they opened Karens’ Cakes Specialties, while Harvey continued working as a machinist and supporting Karen in her love for baking on his days off. (He secretly had a love for baking too!) After a couple years, Harvey changed careers and joined his wife in their newly opened, fast growing bakery. Karen’s Cakes Specialties operated for 17 years first in Deerwood, then in Crosby, MN. The Bakery / Deli was famously known for its caramel rolls, large assortment of breads and buns, delicious soups and sandwiches, and beautifully decorated cakes.

After the Bakery was sold Harvey spent his years between summers at the campground or living in Deerwood. In those summers all of the children and grandchildren would find themselves fishing or having mario cart/duck-hunting tournaments on the super nintendo. During the winters he would often work on computer programs involving history and ancestry of our family. He would also teach his grandchildren how to play games like Putt- Putt, Spy Fox or Pajama Sam on the computer. He was known to keep himself busy teaching his family love for the things that brought him joy; from filleting fish, casting a line, baiting a hook, or helping you get a new high score on Dr. Mario; he was always cheering us on. Fond memories of him saying one of a kind phrases like “goodnight, sleeptight, don’t let the bed bugs bite; and if they do take off your shoe and beat them until they are black and blue” will forever be remembered by all his grandchildren. If you spent some time with him as a child you were guaranteed to hear “you need to stop talking or the fish won’t bite”.

In 2004 Harvey and Karen relocated to Clinton, Missouri for mild winters and lived there for 13 years, spending summer in Minnesota at Emily, Big Sandy, and Fools Lake Campgrounds. They later relocated back to Deerwood, MN where they purchased a small home. In the years at this small home Harvey kept himself busy with computer games and fixing things in his workshop. In 2023 they moved into Woodland assisted living where he spent the remainder of his years.

Where most grandparents would play peekaboo with their grandkids, Harvey set his own tradition of playing “bumble bee, bumble bee”, “this little piggy”, “trot, trot to boston” or telling The Big Toe by the campfire. You often could find Harvey holding the new babies of the family and always had a knack for getting them to take a nap with him. Harvey played many roles in life; friend, coworker, acquaintance but to his large family he was our whole world.

Just shy of 70 years of marriage, his love and devotion for his wife Karen was admirable, he cherished her immensely. If you were lucky enough to have known him you knew he always had a dad joke, a tune to sing or a new puzzle to solve. Memories of his love for fishing, being close to nature, and playing his super nintendo are often shared between his kids, grandkids and great grandkids. You never left his house without a smile on your face or giving him a fisherman's handshake.

Harvey is survived by his wife Karen; two sons, Harvey (Audra) Chamberlin of Deerwood and Richard (Berdine) Chamberlin of Deerwood; three daughters, Candace (James) Marohn of Pillager, Tamara Welzant of Duluth and Rhonda (John) Dicken of Germantown, MD; one sister, Lynn Bloomfield of Montrose, CO; twenty three grandchildren, forty one great grandchildren, and nine great-great grandchildren.

Preceding Harvey in death are his parents; one sister, Daphne Chamberlin, and two brothers, Donald and Gerald Chamberlin.

A Memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at the Bible Baptist Church in Crosby. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday. Burial will be at the Scandia Cemetery in Deerwood. Arrangements are with the Koop Funeral Home in Crosby.