Visitation for Harmon Eddie Stanford will be 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. service time Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at Carrollton Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Carroll County. Williams and Lord Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Mr. Stanford, age 84, died peacefully at his residence on Sunday, April 21, 2019. He was born on January 25, 1935 in Carroll County, MS, to the late Barbara Sanders Stanford and Maxwell Stanford Sr.   He was a graduate of J.Z. George High School in North Carrollton. Harmon was an elder of Carrollton Presbyterian Church. He also served his country for 7 years as a Reserve Member of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Some may remember Harmon for the many homes he constructed in the Carrollton area before turning his attention to truck farming where he and Laverne raised thousands of tomato plants in the spring and fall. Additionally, they had a 600 tree peach orchard. Their truck farm operation serviced the local community as well as outlying supermarkets as far north as Memphis, TN, and south to Jackson, MS. He also had a large cattle operation on the farm where he was raised.   In the early 1970's, he opened a Purina feed dealership selling cattle and hog feed out of his barn initially, before opening Stanford Farm and Feed on 82 highway 3 miles west of Carrollton. He and Laverne enjoyed sharing their farming background with customers as they supported a customer base that ranged from small gardeners to large farming operations with feed, seed and plants until Harmon's health failed in 2018. Along the way he aided local farmers through his commercial hay bailing operation. He also ran a commercial feed delivery service into a three state area pulling feed out of the Purina Mill in Memphis, TN, to various farming operations.

Harmon Stanford was instrumental in the founding of Carroll Academy, serving on the board for many years. One of his favorite stories was how they found the site where Carroll Academy's football field is currently located. He also was instrumental in the location of the gym, getting the land donated. He was one of the founding members of Big Sand Recreation Association which leases the gym to Carroll Academy. In the 1990's, Harmon worked with a group of local citizens to form Citizens for Equitable Taxes (CET) with a mission of balancing the tax burden on local property tax with the financial requirements of county government.   In the early 1990's, Harmon and Laverne participated in an USDA Enforcement Division sting operation that led to the conviction of individuals who were involved in smuggling diseased cattle (Brucellosis, also known as Bangs) across state lines, spreading the disease into other farm herds.   The operation was credited for virtually eliminating Bangs in the South.   Harmon and Laverne received national recognition when they were given the USDA's Superior Service Award. At that time, they were the only private US citizens to ever have received the award.

Harmon was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, James Maxwell Stanford Jr. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Laverne Hitt Stanford of Carrollton, sons, Eddie (Tracy) Stanford of Carrollton, James "Jimmy" (Jessica) Stanford of Coldwater, MS, daughter, Nora Jean Stanford of Carrollton, brother, Gerald S. "Jerry" (Judy) Stanford of Carrollton, 7 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

Reverend Mike Allday and Reverend Jerry McNeer will officiate the services.

Pallbearers will be Alton West, Shannon Ray, Eric Matthews, Steve Riley, Brandon Clay, and Thomas Moore. Honorary pallbearers will be the deacons and elders of Carrollton Presbyterian Church, Bill Lord Jr., Charlie Montgomery Sr., and board members of the Council of Conservative Citizens and board members of Citizens for Equitable Taxes.