Remembering Susie Geneva Hawes Harris

Things of beauty

Above is the National below is the Buckmobile both produced 1904, the year Susie was born. Evidently the Buck was the poor man's car. LOL

For today, (Thursday) a repeat subject:

Over 55 years ago we sat in the family room of Sherry’s Sister Lennie’s home, talking and joking.  Susie, Sherry’s sweet mama was sitting there. She had fixed breakfast for her hubby Wiley. Then cut his and our Son Mark’s hair and walked over to Lennie’s.

That lady was a worker. There was a time in the 30-40s timeframe that Sherry’s dad Wiley cut the mill hill men’s hair half price to the barbers down town. Someone reported him. He really didn’t think he was breaking any laws, but he quit. Then Susie picked up the clippers to save money by cutting her sons hair and branched out herself to cutting hair and never stopped.

 Biloxi, MS, Susie traveled down to be with Sherry when she gave birth to Jack Jr.

Susie Geneva Harris was a model lady and Christian. She never complained nor gossiped. She was a wise and canny financial manager. I have mentioned here before, that on a Cotton Mill Salaries she had 3 homes built and paid for. When she passed away she had given one away, rented one and they lived in one. Probably less than one in a thousand cotton mill workers ever owned a home.

Sherry & her mama, they used one of the photo Kiosk on the beach, Susie loved the beach whether the Atlantic or the Gulf.

That morning over 55 years ago at 61 years young, Susie’s hand went to her chest, she gasped and lay over. I did my best to apply CPR, but it was a massive heart attack and my efforts were fruitless. She left in the presence of a lot of her family. That was the first death I experienced up close. 

Strange, when you get OLD you realize how young 61 is.  Since then we have faced many deaths in our family, but none as poignant at Susie’s, there, one minute talking and the next in the presence of her Lord.

I have attended many funerals, but when my dad preached Susie’s funeral his words still ring-out, he said to the family, “You will always miss Sister Harris, she loved you all. BUT if you could see her now you could not get her attention. She is in wonder of God, her Savior, and heaven. She is safe and happy!”

 

When you reach the age of 80 you realize there are more folk on the other side that you knew, than with you now. Yep, I remember a pretty pug-nosed woman, when she laughed she laughed all over. The Best mama in law a guy could have. I know she now Rests in Peace that Sweet Susie Geneva Hawes Harris.

Nite Shipslog      

 PS: I cannot remember a lot of things, important things, like my mama’s BD nor the date she died. Sherry keeps a short journal daily, dating back to the Discovery of America by Columbus, 1492! The journal is on paper and in her head.