Dolores Maunola Harmon

Dolores Maunola Harmon was born on September 28, 1932, in Beckley, West Virginia. She went home to be with the Lord on December 3, 2025, at the age of 93. Her father was Bozzie Thornton, Sr. of West Virginia and her mother was Adelaide Kalat of Minnesota. Dolores is the mother of Mike Cartwright, Gladney Ferguson and Dean Ferguson and is blessed with four grandchildren and one great grandchild. Dolores married Gene Harmon on March 2, 1974. Gene and Dolores were heavily involved in a foster parent program in Riverside County and raised two foster children of their own.

Dolores said that Gene was the best thing that ever happened as the focus of their marriage was their shared faith and love for Jesus. In their early years, they loved to travel, visiting more than 40 states in a pickup camper. They also ventured to Europe on several occasions, and their favorite places were Spain and Greece. Dolores was especially gifted in the performing arts. In her formative years, she was a ballet dancer. She developed a beautiful operatic voice and performed with Temecula Valley Master Corale for many years. She also enjoyed painting as a hobby. Gene and Dolores were happily married for 42 years until Gene’s passing in 2016.

Gene and Dolores were founding members of the Murrieta Church of Christ. In 1985, Gene and Dolores were living in Murrieta and traveling to Vista to attend church. They had the vision to start a Church of Christ in the Temecula Valley. They were able to locate three other families living in the area who were also traveling to attend various churches of Christ. The Harmons initiated a Thursday night Bible study and soon the vision to establish a Church of Christ in the area became reality when the first worship service of the Rancho California Church of Christ on May 4, 1986, at a Murrieta elementary school. After worshiping in several venues in the valley, a permanent church home was completed on September 16, 2001, and the name was changed to the Murrieta Church of Christ.

After Gene’ death in 2016, Dolores moved from Prescott Arizona back to Murrieta to rejoin the church family that she helped establish. In her latter days, several of church members (Team Dolores) gave her the love and care she had given to others over the years. Dolores was extremely outgoing, gregarious and active. In her last year at Brookdale Senior Living, she easily made friends and enjoyed their community activities. Most of all, she loved the Lord and her faith was tested and true. We will miss her dearly.