Biography: Mary Isabel Payne Harris Source: THE FOCUS, Vol.IX, No.2, Farmville, Va., March, 1920 (Longwood College Student Publication) Contributor: Vincent E. Summers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 95 Mary Isabel Payne Harris Mary Isabell Payne Harris was born in the Warm Springs valley, Bath County, Virginia. The farm on which she was born had been in the hands of the Payne family since the tract of land was granted to one of the ancestors by the King of England for valor in arms. Mrs. Harris was the fourteenth child of a family of sixteen. She was educated at Covington, Va., and at Stannboro, Va., in the school of which Dr. Harris was president, and which has since been moved to Roanoke under the name of Virginia College. She taught after leaving school until she married, December 22, 1882, Dr. William Francis Harris, B.A., M.A., Richmond College and a graduate of the Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Ky. Her married life was spent in Missouri where Dr. Harris was pastor. Dr. Harris died Oct. 15, 1898, in the Baptist Sanitorium in St. Louis, while he was pastor at Carthage, Mo. After his death Mrs. Harris and her daughter Eloise, by whom she is survived, came to Virginia and lived in Covington until 1901. 1901-1902 Mrs. Harris was principal of R.F.I. in Danville, Va. From 1902-1910 she was at Hollins College, and from 1910 until the time of her death she was at the State Normal School, Farmville, Va. Mrs. Harris left as a heritage to those who knew and love her the example of as nearly a perfect life as mortal can live and the memories of a love that knew no selfishness. Resolutions of Respect of the Home Department and Faculty of the State Normal School for Women at Farmville, Virginia, in Memory of Mrs. Mary Payne Harris, Assistant Head of the Home. Resolved: That in the death of Mrs. Mary Payne Harris the Home De- partment has lost a faithful, efficient co-worker and the Faculty a loyal friend. In her strong religious faith and in her unfailing courtesy she was an example and an inspiration. Unselfish devotion to duty marked her life and her cheerful sympathetic nature won the confidence and love of all with whom she came in contact. Mrs. Harris was decided in her conviction of right and wrong and was true to these convictions. The supreme test of her life was loyalty to Christ. That on behalf of the whole school we extend to her daughter and her relatives our profound sympathy in their great sorrow and that copies of these resolutions be sent to them. That these resolutions be incorporated in the Faculty records and be published in the school magazine and in the Farmville Herald and the Farmville Leader. MARY WHITE COX, BESSIE C. RANDOLPH, ESTELLE SMITHEY, Committee. 19 January, 1920. ****************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ******************************************************************