Funeral Services for Jessie B. (Dudley) Harris, age 98, of Brownwood, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at the Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church with Reverend Jesse Turner officiating, burial to follow in Greenleaf Cemetery under the direction of Davis-Morris Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home. Mrs. Harris passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 23, 2011 in Brownwood.
Mrs. Harris was born on November 13, 1912, in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, to Joe Andrew and Julie (Hill) Dudley. She married Benjamin Harris in 1933, who preceded her in death on February 2, 1982. Mrs. Harris and her husband Benjamin Harris moved to Brownwood in 1941 and soon thereafter joined Little Zion Baptist Church. Mrs. Harris was active in the church; she sang in the choir, was a member of the women’s missionary group and was the director of the Baptist Training Union. She retired from Brownwood Regional Medical Center (then known as Brownwood Community Hospital) in 1977.
Mrs. Harris had a total of six siblings, two sisters, Eldora Hegwood and Roberta Tucker; four brothers, Isaac Dudley, Joel Dudley, Henry Dudley, and Hiram Dudley, all whom preceded her in death.
She is survived by three nieces, Mary Ellen Johnson of Desoto, Carol Williams of Mount Pleasant, Texas; four nephews, Samuel Dudley, Jodi Miller, Nathaniel Dudley of Oklahoma and E.L. Lowe of Barstow, California; two first cousins, Golden Taliver of Longview, Texas and Betty Ann Robertson of Omaha, Texas. Mrs. Harris is also survived by an adopted daughter, Laverna Cole and her four sons of Hurst, Texas; she also leaves a legacy of numerous great nieces and nephews as well as loving special friends.
The family would like to thank the caregivers of Lighthouse Hospice for their wonderful care of Mrs. Harris.
