William HARRIS of Jackson County, Missouri

FAMILY HISTORY OF WILLIAM HARRIS AND RHODA EFFANIAH BURNETT
AND BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THEIR FIFTEEN CHILDREN

Prepared for the Harris Reunion, Lee's Summit, Missouri. (Updated April,
2002)

Rhoda Effaniah Burnett was born 22 June, 1800, Patrick County, Virginia,
the daughter of Jeremiah Burnett, III and his wife, Effaniah “Effie”
Crowley. Jeremiah Burnett, III was the son of Jeremiah Burnett, II. The
name of his mother is not known at this time. Jeremiah Burnett, III was
born ca. 1761 in Albemarle County, Virginia. He served in the 10th Virginia
Regiment in the Revolutionary War. Effaniah Crowley was born ca. 1765, in
Halifax County, Virginia, and was the daughter of Samuel Crowley and
Elizabeth Strong. Samuel Crowley was serving as a scout under General
Andrew Lewis in a fight with hundreds of Indians led by the Shawnee Chief
Cornstalk during Lord Dunmore’s War, at Point Pleasant, now West Virginia.
He was one of the first men killed in this battle on 10 October, 1774.

Rhoda Effaniah Burnett age 17, was married 18 August, 1817, Patrick County,
Virginia, to William Harris, age 21. He was born 14 April, 1796, Patrick
County, Virginia, the son of Reuben Harris, and Margaret Anne McAlexander.
She was the daughter of William McAlexander, and was born ca. 1793. On 16
September, 1830, Patrick County, Virginia, Margaret Harris signed a dower
relinquishment. At this writing, no further records have been found by
researchers. Reuben Harris was born ca. 1760, Buckingham County, Virginia,
the son of William Harris and Sarah Steele. He served in the 6th Virginia
Regiment during the Revolutionary War. Reuben Harris died 16 March, 1842,
in Jackson County, Missouri.

Early in the 1800’s emigration to the Midwest from the eastern states had
begun. In 1821 Missouri had been the 24th state admitted to the Union. By
government treaty in 1825, the Osage Indians had relinquished a strip of
land twenty-four miles wide along the western side of Missouri from the
Missouri River to the Arkansas River. On 15 December, 1826, the General
Assembly of the State of Missouri established the County of Jackson.
Emigrants had already started coming into the region, commonly referred to
as the “Blue Country”. As word got back to the eastern states that this
area would soon be open for settlement, wagon trains began bringing
settlers from Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and other states. Among those
who decided to emigrate from Virginia to Missouri were Reuben Harris and
several of his children. Two sons and a daughter were already established
in Jackson County, Missouri. Court records in Patrick County, Virginia in
1830 show the sale of property by several members of the Harris family.
William Harris was one of the sons of Reuben Harris to make the decision to
emigrate to Missouri. By this time, seven children had been born to William
and Rhoda Harris.

In 1830, Independence, Missouri, was a small settlement of log cabins, with
a population of nearly 2,000 persons. It had been named the county seat of
Jackson County. There was little traffic on the nearby Missouri River, and
there were no roads, only rough trails. This was the destination of the
wagon train carrying Reuben Harris, several of his married children and
their families, several unmarried children, slaves and other Virginia
families. They reached Independence, Missouri, in the fall of 1830. William
and Rhoda Harris and their seven children were in this group. The first
winter William Harris rented the Milton farm near Independence. The next
year, he and his family moved to the area where the present town of Blue
Springs, Missouri, is located. By May, 1832, William Harris had obtained a
land patent on 120 acres of land in Sni-a-bar Township, Jackson County:
forty acres in the SE ¼ NE ¼, Sec. 34, Twsp. 49, R. 31, and eighty acres in
the W1/2 NW¼, Sec. 35, Twsp. 49, R. 31. Through the years, William and
Rhoda Harris added to their holdings. The family farmed the land. Rhoda
Harris cultivated an extensive herb garden that provided medicinal plants,
which she used in treating family and neighbors. There were no doctors.
Rhoda Harris was often called upon to treat sicknesses, and to act as
midwife. William Harris and his sons were fond of hunting, and William was
a part-time preacher. The Harris family were Baptists. By 1845, eight more
children had been born to this couple. All but one of the fifteen children
grew to maturity. One family story relates how proud William and Rhoda
Harris were when all twelve of their sons were seated together at a dinner
table. Tragedy soon struck the family with the death of the baby, Lewis
Franklin. He was born 6 May, 1845, and died 3 August, 1845. He was buried
on a sunny slope of the farm. As later deaths occurred, this became the
family burial ground. On 28 March, 1847, William Harris died of cholera and
was buried beside his infant son. The following year on 28 June, 1848,
Jeremiah Burnett died at the age of 99. He was buried there beside William
Harris and Lewis Franklin Harris. Rhoda Harris and her son, Samuel Birks,
had gone to Virginia and brought her father back to Jackson County,
Missouri. He had several other children living in the area. Years later
Rhoda Harris donated this 1 1/2 acres of land to the city of Blue Springs,
Missouri. This was the beginning of the Blue Springs City cemetery. After
the death of her husband, Rhoda Harris continued to manage the farm with
the help of her seven children and several slaves. She had strong
sympathies with the Confederacy, and she gave aid to Quantrill’s men who
supported the South and made eastern Jackson County, Missouri, their base
of operations. One son, Marion Lee Harris, served in Company A, 9th
Missouri Infantry, (Confederate).
Late in her life Rhoda Harris experienced another tragedy when she lost the
sight in one eye. She died 9 September, 1878, age 78 years, 2 months and 15
days. She was buried beside her husband and other family members on the
land she had donated to the city of Blue Springs, Missouri.
The will of William Harris was offered for probate on 10 April, 1847. His
property was left to his wife, Rhoda Harris, for as long as she remained
his widow or until death. It was then to be divided equally among his
children. Rhoda Harris died intestate, so the conditions of her husband’s
will were in effect. On 10 October, 1878, a petition (Cause No. 795) was
filed in the Special Law and Equity Court of Jackson County, Missouri at
Independence. All living children and heirs of deceased children were
named. Due to the large number of heirs, many of them not living in
Missouri, the Court was asked that the real estate be sold and the proceeds
divided according to law. Before this could be done, Marion Lee Harris, one
of the plaintiffs, was killed in a cyclone. This delayed the settlement of
the estate for several months. The partition sale was held in July, 1880.
William and Rhoda Harris were the parents of fifteen children and they had
ninety-nine grandchildren. Thousands of Americans are descendants of this
pioneer couple.

Children of William and Rhoda Effaniah Burnett Harris:

Jeremiah Alexander Harris 1818 -- 1848
Nancy Martha Harris 1820 -- 1886
Fleming Saunders Harris 1822 -- 1886
Isham Burnett Harris 1823 -- 1852
Reuben Crowley Harris 1825 -- 1893
William Greenville Harris 1828 -- 1898
Samuel Birks Harris 1830 -- 1923
John Hardin Harris 1832 -- 1918
Doctor Lawrence Harris 1833 -- 1913
Judith Ann Elizabeth Harris 1835 -- 1869
Thomas Columbus Wilson Harris 1837 -- 1857
James Marshall Harris 1839 -- 1914
Rhoda Effaniah Harris 1841 -- 1896
Marion Lee Harris 1843 -- 1879
Lewis Franklin Harris 1845 -- 1845

1 -- JEREMIAH ALEXANDER HARRIS ("JESSIE')

Jeremiah Alexander Harris was born 24 March, 1818, Patrick County,
Virginia, the first of 15 children born to William and Rhoda Harris. He was
twelve years old when his parents emigrated to Jackson County, Missouri. He
helped his mother make bricks out of water and mud when their home was
built and he helped her plant the black locust trees that she brought from
Virginia. Jeremiah Harris was married 20 December, 1838, Jackson County,
Missouri, to Elizabeth Lane Gibson. She was born 24 August, 1822, at
Bowling Green, Kentucky, the daughter of Silas Harvey Gibson and Elizabeth
Slaughter. Jeremiah and Elizabeth Harris settled on land near his parents
in Sni-a-bar Township, Jackson County, Missouri. Four children were born to
this couple. Jeremiah Harris died 24 August, 1848, at the age of thirty
during a cholera epidemic. It is probable the he was buried in the family
burial ground on his parents' farm. Elizabeth Gibson Harris and her
children were living in her father’s household when the 1850 Census for
Jackson County, Missouri was taken. She married 2/ Clairborne Webb on 5
December, 1852, and they had several children. Elizabeth Harris Webb died
10 September, 1880, and was buried in the Slaughter Cemetery, Sni-a-bar
Township, Jackson County, Missouri.
Silas Turner Harris, son of Jeremiah A. and Elizabeth Harris was in
Confederate Service under General Jo Shelby for two years during the Civil
War.

2 -- NANCY MARTHA HARRIS

Nancy Martha Harris was born 8 August, 1820, Patrick County, Virginia, the
first of three daughters born to William and Rhoda Harris. At the age of
ten she emigrated to Jackson County, Missouri, with her parents. She was
married 26 January 1837, Jackson County, Missouri, to William Taylor
Burrus. He was born 22 January, 1811, in Virginia, son of George Burrus and
Elizabeth M. Taylor. Nancy and William T. Burrus lived two miles west of
Blue Springs, Missouri in Sni-a-bar Township. Eleven children were born to
them, nine of whom reached maturity. When the youngest child was only
eleven days old, William T. Burrus died on 2 November, 1858. Burial was in
Blue Springs Cemetery. Nancy M. Burrus continued farming with the help of
her children and family members. During the Civil War she was exiled under
Order #11, and went to LaFayette County, Missouri, near Lexington, but
later returned to Jackson County. One son, James Madison Burrus, served
under General Sterling Price and General Jo Shelby in Confederate Service
during the Civil War. After the war he returned to Jackson County,
Missouri, and for a year or two helped his mother on the farm. Nancy M.
Harris married 2/ Andrew Jackson Smith who was still living by July, 1880,
when the Harris estate was settled. Nancy Martha Harris Burrus Smith died
24 April, 1886.

3 -- FLEMING SAUNDERS HARRIS

Fleming Saunders Harris was the third child born to William and Rhoda
Harris, 22 February, 1822, Patrick County, Virginia. At the age of eight he
emigrated to Jackson County, Missouri, with his parents, where they settled
in Sni-a-bar Township. He was married 15 February, 1844, to Mary Jane
Slaughter. She was born 22 June, 1827, in Virginia, the daughter of Josiah
Slaughter and Elizabeth Koger. Fleming S. and Mary Jane Harris were parents
of 13 children, 11 of whom grew to maturity. The Harris farm was located in
Van Buren Township, Jackson County, Missouri. Fleming S. and Mary Jane
Harris were charter members of the New Liberty Baptist Church of Jesus
Christ of New Liberty, which was near their farm. During the Civil War the
Fleming S. Harris family was exiled under Order #11, and went to Carroll
County, Missouri. Their thirteen-year-old son, John Reuben, made several
dangerous trips back to the Jackson County farm to get food supplies for
the family. While exiled, there was much digging on the farm by people who
thought Fleming Harris had buried a large amount of money before leaving.
Several years later, having returned to his farm, Fleming S. Harris was
kicked by a mule. This resulted in his death 19 November, 1885, at age 63
years, 8 months, and 27 days. He was buried in the Koger Cemetery, Van
Buren Township, Jackson County, Missouri. (This cemetery is also called the
Russell Cemetery and the New Liberty Cemetery). Mary Jane Harris died 21
February, 1894, at age 66 years, 7 months, 29 days, and was buried in the
Koger Cemetery beside her husband.

4 -- ISHAM (ISOM) BURNETT HARRIS

Isham ( Isom ) Burnett Harris was born 22 November, 1823, Patrick County,
Virginia, the fourth child of William and Rhoda Harris. At the age of seven
he emigrated to Jackson County, Missouri, with his parents. He was married
14 September, 1843, Jackson County, Missouri, to Margaret Johnson. She was
born 28 October, 1825 in Virginia, the daughter of Larkin Johnson and Sarah
Harris. This couple lived in Sni-a-bar Township, Jackson County, Missouri.
Isham B. Harris died 6 April, 1852, at age 28 years, 4 months, and 14 days.
He was buried in the Harris family burial ground, now part of the Blue
Springs Cemetery. Isham B. Harris died intestate, leaving three children.
Family bible records show that a fourth child, Isom DeWar Harris, was born
5 March, 1852. This child was not listed as an heir in the estate
proceedings, filed 13 April, 1852, Jackson County, Missouri, so he must
have died shortly after birth and before his father's death. Margaret
Harris married 2/ William H. Selby. Margaret Harris Selby died 17 November,
1901.

5 -- REUBEN CROWLEY HARRIS

Reuben Crowley Harris was born 29 December, 1825, Patrick County, Virginia,
the fifth child of William and Rhoda Harris. At five years of age he
emigrated with his parents to Jackson County, Missouri. He was married 20
February, 1850, to Nancy Jane Moultrie in Jackson County, Missouri,
daughter of William Moultrie and Mary Elizabeth Fitzhugh of Virginia. In
1852 this couple went by ox train to California. According to family
tradition, when they left Independence, Missouri, Nancy Jane Harris was ill
and was not expected to live to reach California, but in a month or two she
was able to sit up. Long before they reached California, she was doing her
share of the camp work. This couple farmed in California for many years.
They had four children. Reuben Crowley Harris died 29 March, 1893. Both he
and his wife were buried in California.

6 -- WILLIAM GREENVILLE HARRIS

William Greenville Harris was born 13 April, 1828, Patrick County,
Virginia, the sixth child of William and Rhoda Harris. At the age of two he
emigrated with his parents to Jackson County, Missouri, where they settled
in Sni-a-bar Township. The Harris children attended the old Blue Springs
log schoolhouse located across the road east of the Harris farm. William
Greenville Harris was married in November, 1859, to Martha Ann McPherson.
She was the daughter of Murdock McPherson and Elizabeth Ann Fitzhugh. Her
brother, Daniel McPherson, married Rhoda Effaniah Harris, sister of William
G. Harris. William G. and Martha A. Harris owned several hundred acres of
land just north and west of his parents' home place in Sni-a-bar Township
The house stood on a slope north of the railroad track that runs to Blue
Springs. Part of this farm land became Lake Tapawingo. William G. and
Martha A. Harris had eight sons. One son died in infancy and another died
at the age of 16. Three sons never married. Martha Ann Harris died 5
August, 1887, and William Greenville Harris died 13 August, 1898. Both are
buried in the Harris family lot at Blue Springs Cemetery. Six of their sons
are also buried there.

7 -- SAMUEL BIRKS HARRIS

Samuel Birks Harris was born 12 May 1830 Patrick County, Virginia, the
seventh child of William and Rhoda Harris. At the age of six months, he was
taken by his parents to Jackson County, Missouri, where they settled in
Sni-a-bar Township. The Harris family was the first to settle in this area.
Samuel Birks attended the old log school near his family's farm. His father
died when he was 17 years of age. The following year he and his mother made
a trip to Virginia and brought back her father, Jeremiah Burnett. He had
served in the Revolutionary War. The life of Samuel Birks Harris has been
well publicized, with numerous printed accounts of his trip across the
plains to California with an ox team during the "Gold Rush" days, and other
interesting stories. After several years he returned to Jackson County,
Missouri, and became a farmer. He married 1/ 10 August, 1860, Jackson
County, Missouri, to Parlee Webb. She was born 22 October, 1839, Oak Grove,
Missouri, daughter of John P. Webb and Elizabeth Birdwell. Eight children
were born of this union. During this time the Samuel Birks Harris family
had to leave Jackson County, Missouri, after Order #11 was issued in
August, 1863. They went to Logan County, Illinois, and remained there until
after the war, then spent a number of years in Bates County, Missouri,
before returning to Jackson County, Missouri Parlee Webb Harris died 18
March, 1877, after the birth of her son, Albert C. Harris. Samuel Birks
Harris married 2/ Cornelia McClintock. She was born 10 January, 1855,
Hancock County, Illinois, the daughter of Glasgow McClintock and Nancy
Imen. Four children were born of this union. Samuel Birks Harris died 2
March 1923, at the age of 92 years, nine months, and twenty days. Cornelia
McClintock Harris died 8 February 1938, at Greenwood, Missouri.

8 -- JOHN HARDIN HARRIS

John Hardin Harris was born 10 July, 1832, the eighth child of William and
Rhoda Harris. He was the first of their children to be born in Missouri. He
grew up on the family farm in Sni-a-bar Township, Jackson County, Missouri,
and attended the old log school near the farm. John Hardin Harris was
nearly 15 years of age when his father died. For several years he helped
his mother work the farm, then worked as a farm hand until he had saved
enough money to buy land of his own near Blue Springs, Missouri He was
married 1/ 28 June 1853, to Louisa Bridges, the daughter of James Bridges
and Annie Powell. Louisa Bridges Harris died in April. 1859, leaving three
children. John H. Harris married 2/ 18 October, 1860, Louisa Jane Powell.
She was born 6 May, 1842, the daughter of Absalom Powell and Elizabeth
Rice. Her grandfather was Joseph Powell, a Revolutionary War soldier who
died in Jackson County, Missouri in the early 1830's. For two years ,
during the Civil War, the Harris family lived in Colorado. After the war
they returned to Missouri and bought land eight miles east of Lee's Summit,
Missouri. John H. Harris farmed extensively and prospered. This couple had
eight children and Louisa Harris helped rear her three stepchildren. In
1897. the Harris family moved near Lee's Summit, Missouri and John H.
Harris established a park, stocking it with deer. The deer park became a
tourist attraction. After his death 23 September, 1918, the deer herd was
sold. Louisa Powell Harris died 7 June, 1936.

John H. Harris, his son, James Fleming Harris, and his brother, Samuel
Birks Harris, were the originators of the Harris Family Reunion. Some local
family members had been gathering annually in reunion. The Harris brothers
wanted to honor their parents, William and Rhoda Harris, in a special way
by having an annual reunion of all their descendants. At a meeting of
family members on 6 May, 1911, by-laws were drawn up for the organization
to be called "Descendants of William and Rhoda Harris". The first reunion
meeting was held 11 May, 1911, with a fish fry at the farm home of John
Hardin Harris near Lee's Summit, Missouri. A Constitution and By-Laws for
this organization were formally adopted by nearly 200 persons who were in
attendance. This has been an annual event since that time. The 91st Reunion
was held at Harris Memorial Park, Lee’s Summit, Missouri on September 9,
2001.

9 -- DOCTOR LAWRENCE HARRIS

Doctor Lawrence Harris was born 12 November, 1833, Jackson County,
Missouri, the ninth child of William and Rhoda Harris. He grew up on the
family farm and attended school for short periods of time. In 1852 he
joined a wagon train going to California. On the journey, Doctor and his
brothers, Reuben Crowley Harris and Samuel Birks Harris, drove an ox team.
Family stories tell of the long trip, encounters with hostile Indians, a
cholera outbreak, and other harrowing experiences. In California Doctor
Lawrence Harris worked around sawmills and engaged in freighting to the
mines. He built up a reputation as one of the best ox drivers in the state.
About 1884 he bought a ranch adjoining that of his brother, James Marshall
Harris, and set out an apple orchard. Doctor Lawrence Harris married Nettie
Milburn in 1886. A son, John Marshall Harris, was born 17 February, 1887.
The marriage lasted a short time. Doctor Lawrence Harris raised horses,
cattle, and very fine strain of cattle dogs, which were in great demand by
cattlemen. In 1906 Doctor Lawrence Harris was called to San Francisco to
visit a dying friend. On April 18, 1906, he was caught in the San Francisco
earthquake, but escaped without injury. Throughout his life, Doctor
Lawrence Harris held a firm belief that he had mystical healing powers.
There were those who believed he had cured them. In the summer of 1908,
while riding after cattle, he was struck in the head with the end of limb,
which made an ugly wound. He tried to heal his wound by laying on hands but
before long cancer had developed. He suffered for five years and died 11
July, 1913. He was buried in a small private cemetery on the ranch of his
brother, James Marshall Harris, in Mariposa County, California. John
Marshall Harris, son of Doctor Lawrence Harris, enlisted in the U. S. Navy
in 1918, and was stationed aboard the U. S. cruiser, Frederick, convoying
troops to France. He was stricken with Spanish influenza and died. Before
his death he had established contact with his mother and provided for her
for the rest of her life.

10 -- JUDITH ANN ELIZABETH HARRIS

Judith Ann Elizabeth Harris was born 3 January, 1835, Jackson, County,
Missouri, the tenth child of William and Rhoda Harris. She was twelve years
old when her father died. Her mother raised her in Jackson County,
Missouri. Judith Ann Harris was married 4 December 1851, to Benjamin
Franklin Ingram. She was his second wife. He was born in 1821 in Virginia.
Judith and Benjamin Ingram had four children; two died in infancy and one
died at the age of five years. Judith A. Ingram died 13 October, 1869.
Benjamin Franklin Ingram died 31 January, 1878, at Verdi, Nevada. The
couple predeceased Rhoda Harris, and as a result, their daughter, Rose C.
Ingram received a share of the Rhoda Harris estate.

11 -- THOMAS COLUMBUS WILSON HARRIS

Thomas Columbus Wilson Harris was born 2 December, 1837, Jackson County,
Missouri, the eleventh child of William and Rhoda Harris. His father died
when he was ten years old. He helped on his mother's farm and attended
school nearby. At the age of nineteen, while plowing with an ox team, he
was dragged some distance and was fatally injured. Thomas Columbus Wilson
Harris died 13 June, 1857. He was buried in the family burial ground on
their farm, which was later to become the Blue Springs Cemetery.

12 -- JAMES MARSHALL HARRIS

James Marshall Harris was born 21 July, 1839, Jackson County, Missouri, the
twelfth child of William and Rhoda Harris. He was seven years old when his
father died. He spent his early years on the family farm in Jackson County,
and attended school near the farm. In May, 1857, at the age of seventeen,
he started to California with his youngest sister, Rhoda E, and her
husband, Robert McPherson, who was captain of the wagon train. He and his
friends had an ox team but walked most of the way from Independence,
Missouri, to San Francisco Bay, California. The wagon train was raided by
Indians and stock was stolen, adding to the hardships and delays of the
journey, which ended in September, 1857. The McPhersons settled in
Livermore Valley, California. James Marshall Harris lived with them for two
years. He bought books to further his limited education and was an avid
reader throughout his life. About 1870 he moved to Mariposa County,
California, and bought the squatter's rights on a well-watered meadow
clearing. He set out an orchard of varied fruits and apples. His mother,
Rhoda Harris, sent him scions (cuttings) of old varieties of fruit trees.
Through the years he expanded his acreage by homestead, and preemption, and
set out more orchards and vineyards. He was one of the first commercial
orchardists in California. He was well known in the area for his fruits and
melons and as a horticulturist. In 1879 he moved from his little log cabin
into a new home. He was still a bachelor. In 1883 he returned to Jackson
County, Missouri for a visit. He had been away for nearly 25 years. His
dearly beloved brother, "Tommie", (Thomas Columbus Wilson Harris), had been
killed shortly after James Marshall left for California. While visiting
with relatives in Jackson County, Missouri, he met Alice May Hunter, and on
5 September, 1883, they were married. Alice May Hunter was born 28 April,
1857, Jackson County, Missouri, the daughter of Samuel Robert Hunter. James
Marshall Harris and his bride returned to California. They had eight
children, including twin daughters, Jessie Harris Visher, and Bessie Harris
Sowers, who provided stories about the Harris family in California. James
Marshall Harris died 16 May, 1914. He was buried in the family cemetery on
his farm in Mariposa County, California, beside his brother Doctor Lawrence
Harris. His widow, Alice M. Harris survived him.

13 -- RHODA EFFANIAH MARGARET HARRIS

Rhoda Effaniah Margaret Harris was born 25 August, 1841, Jackson County,
Missouri, the third daughter of William and Rhoda Harris. She was named
after her mother. She was married 5 May, 1856, Jackson County, Missouri, to
Daniel Robert McPherson. He was born 26 December, 1835, son of Murdock
McPherson and Elizabeth Ann Fitzhugh. Rhoda E. Harris was 15 years of age
when she married. In May, 1857, the McPhersons left Independence, Missouri,
by ox train. Robert McPherson was captain of the train. According to family
legend the wagon train reached San Francisco Bay, where the oxen refused to
drink the salt water. This caused the weary travelers to realize they had
reached the end of their long journey. The McPhersons settled in Danville
in Contra Costa County, California, where they farmed several hundred acres
of land for many years. Eleven children were born to this couple. Rhoda E.
McPherson died 4 July, 1896. Daniel Robert McPherson died 26 December,
1904.

14 -- MARION LEE HARRIS

Marion Lee Harris was born 16 April 1843, Jackson County, Missouri, the
fourteenth child of William and Rhoda Harris. His father died when he was
four years of age. He grew up on the family farm. Marion Lee Harris served
as a Private in Co. A, 9th Missouri Infantry, (Confederate) during the
Civil War. He surrendered at New Orleans, Louisiana. 26 May, 1865, and was
paroled 7 June, 1865, at Alexandria, Louisiana. He returned to Jackson
County, Missouri and settled near Blue Springs. He was married August,
1868, to Phebe Jane Wright. She was born 12 June, 1852, the daughter of
Jonathan Wright and Lydia Ann Manker. This couple had four children. On 30
May, 1879, about 7:00 P. M., a devastating cyclone swept across eastern
Jackson County, Missouri, causing tremendous property damage. The cyclone
approached the farm of Marion Lee and Phebe Harris. They had little
warning, and while attempting to reach shelter, the family became
separated. The wind swept nine-year- old Frank into a straw rick. He was
badly bruised and burned. Eight year old Lillie was killed instantly.
Marion Lee and Phebe Harris were crushed and both died within a short time.
The baby, Earnest, died a few weeks later, as a result of the incident. Two
children, Frank and Lucy Ann, survived this tragedy.

15 -- LEWIS FRANKLIN HARRIS

Lewis Franklin was the last child, and twelfth son, born to William and
Rhoda Harris. He was born 6 May 1845, at the Harris farm home, Sni-a-bar
Township. Lewis Franklin Harris died 3 August, 1845, age 3 months, 7 days.
He was buried on a sunny slope of the Harris farm. This first grave was the
beginning of what is now the Blue Springs, Missouri, Cemetery. This was the
first baby Rhoda Harris lost. A family story tells of the pride William and
Rhoda Harris felt after the birth of Lewis Franklin, when all twelve of
their sons were seated with them at the dinner table.

Prepared by:
Mary McCarty Harris, Historian for Descendants of William and Rhoda Harris
411 South Bleckley Drive
Wichita, Kansas 67218-1524
E-mail: <mmchar@earthlink.net>

Submitted by Rhoda's third great-grandson, Marland R. Boucher

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