Beverly J. Harris, 85, of Gilliam, died Friday, September 3, at Life Care Center in Carrollton.
Memorial graveside services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, September 9, at Gilliam Cemetery with Terry Sandwith officiating. Friends may sign the register book from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the funeral home on Wednesday, September 8. The family suggests memorials to Gilliam Cemetery Association and/or Gilliam Baptist Church. Memorials may be left at or mailed to Weiker Funeral Home, P.O.#177, Slater, MO 65349.
Beverly was born August 25, 1936, in Slater, the daughter of the late Marion E. and Alice (Johnson) Narron. She attended schools in Slater graduating from Slater High School with the class of 1954.
On January 3, 1955, in Gilliam, she married Thomas “Tom” Harris. He survives of the home.
Early on she worked at Kellwood in Glasgow, Moore’s Drive-In, Slater’s U-Save Mart. She retired, in 1998 after 20 years from Mid Mo Telephone Company (known today as Otelco), Gilliam office, where she was a bookkeeper.
She was a member of Gilliam Baptist Church, where she was a song leader for Sunday School Youth Morning services. She was a member of the Willing Workers Sunday school class. She was active Gilliam PTA and Gilliam 4-H in the 1960’s and 1970’s. She was the Gilliam City Clerk in the 1970’s. She was a reporter for Gilliam News and Slater News-Rustler newspapers in the 1970’s.
Beverly loved to mow the yard and work in her flower gardens. She always had house plants and had an African Violet collection at one point.
She learned to water ski on the Missouri River and later skied at the Lake of the Ozarks, despite the fact she could not swim.
Beverly loved to square dance, 2-step, and the Jitterbug. She was an oil painter, woodworker and did needlework, especially counted cross stitch.
She never missed attending grandkids school programs, football, baseball, basketball, and soccer games. She was a proud Slater Wildcat, Marshall Owl and Benedictine Raven grandparent.
She was a proud mom and grandma of a son and grandson who served in the United States Navy, and another grandson who served in the Missouri Army National Guard following 9/11/2001.
After retirement Tom and Beverly would spend their winters in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama.
Additional survivors include her son, Jeff Harris and his wife Beth of Marshall, daughter, Gayle Roder and her husband Robert of Slater; along with four grandchildren Kane Roder Kallie Roder, Drew Harris and Logan Harris; and five great-grandchildren Clayton, Colby, Kielin, Kenzlee and Gunner.
She was preceded in death by her brother Edward Narron and sister Billie Haynes.