Michael Dee Harrison

   On December 29, 1981, Michael Dee’s namesake, Uncle Mike Harrison, said he was busy plumbing for work and got a call from his mother, who asked that he come and get Cozette to take her to the doctor because she was hurting, and his mother was afraid to drive in the heavy snowstorm that day.  Begrudgingly, Mike drove waaay out on the west end of the Emmett bench to get Cozette, and then he took her along with him to do some service calls on his way back to town to eventually take her to the doctor.  He said Cozette was squirming and would sit up and lie down over and again, and he finally asked her why she wouldn’t sit still.  When they got to Doc Smith’s office, Mike found out why she wouldn’t sit still.  Doc wasn’t sure Cozette would make it to the hospital because she was ready to have the baby right away.  
Soon, Michael Dee Harrison was born.  He is the son of Cozette; brother to Kerbi, Aaron, Jennifer, Shea and Chase; and father to Jarron, Madisen, Riley, Natalya, Garrett and Isaac.  He was simply and easily loved by everyone—and he was pretty spoiled, too.  
   Throughout his life, there weren’t many times that Michael Dee wasn’t smiling, though the reasons for those smiles evolved as the years passed by:  happiness, mischief, family, life, love, and babies.   Oh, how he loved each of his children.  His world lit up when each of them was born, and his absolute love for each of them continued until the day he died.   
   Michael’s love of riding dirt bikes started when he was just a little guy, and he kept after it throughout most of his life.  His skill of riding progressed to the point that he dabbled in competitive racing.  He grew into quite a skilled four-wheeler rider also, which was a definite bonus during hunting season. Michael enjoyed everything about the outdoors, from fishing to hunting to camping and everything in between.  After a recent amputation of his foot, he joked that he was going to get a peg leg and attach a fishing pole and reel to it so he could cast with the flick of his leg.  
   Michael and his uncle Bud Harrison were extremely close.  In earlier days they loved bird hunting with Bud’s Red Ryder BB gun, riding four-wheelers, making a swimming pool out of a horse trough, swimming in a canal near Letha, and making bike jumps out of tractor tires.  Somewhere on Kathy Street in Emmett, he even “persuaded” a bully to stop beating up on Bud.  
   A few years ago, Grandpa Don had an elusive and pesky gopher in his garden that he just couldn’t catch, so Michael and his son Riley came to the rescue with boots, shovels and a garden hose.  After hours of digging and dousing, they caught that gopher but destroyed Grandpa’s garden in the process. They were both so filthy!
   Michael worked in plumbing with his Uncle Mike and Uncle Chuck in Garden Valley, and he became a very good service plumber.  It was during this time that he told his uncles that you didn’t need to be a “science rocketist” to figure things out, and that new term followed him everywhere.   When he was sober, he worked hard and was a fantastic father, brother, son, and friend.  He was the first to help when someone was in need, and he had a great sense of humor.  
   Michael struggled against diabetes for most of his adult life, and diabetes caused many hospitalizations and life-altering conditions that were incredibly and brutally frustrating for him.  Michael also struggled with drug addiction, which caused him to abandon many of the most important things in his life.  The illness and addiction that accompany the use of drugs dulled his sparkle and diverted his life’s path. Eventually, the drug use and continued health issues took a toll on his body and Michael lost his life in New Plymouth, Idaho on April 30, 2024.  
    Our hearts ache for those who were affected by his choices.  If anything positive can be derived from Michael’s untimely passing, we hope it is that you will stay away from the choices he made or reach out for help.  Most of all, please know that there is always, always someone who loves you more than you can possibly imagine and who will move mountains to help you.   
   Michael was preceded in death by his brother, Shea; and by his grandpa, Don.  
   He is survived by his mom, Cozette (Wally) Helmick of Sweet, Idaho; his sister Kerbi (Scott) Webb of Ola, Idaho; brother Aaron Mabee; and sister, Jennifer Helmick, both of Star, Idaho; and Chase (Corina) Helmick of Nampa, Idaho.  He is also survived by his children, Jarron, Madisen, Riley, Natalya, Garrett and Isaac; along with his granddaughter, who is scheduled to arrive in July 2024.   
   A Celebration of Life for Michael Dee will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at Cobblestone Park in Emmett, Idaho.  Please join us to share stories and memories of Michael Dee.  Snacks, water and soda will be provided.  Please BYOB and bring chairs/blankets for sitting. 

Use this link to view details about Michael's Remember Page: https://my.gather.app/remember/michael-harrison-2024

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