Ruth Ann Harris

Ruth Ann Harris was born on January 31, 1930 in Sand Springs Oklahoma to the union of Albert and Mariah Maria Harris. I’m told that she along with her parents and siblings (9 children) traveled from Oklahoma and settled in Phoenix, Arizona arriving in a 1929 hand crank Model T Ford.

Things were tough for her and her family who later loss their dad and her mom managed the kids alone. Being the youngest girl and nicknamed “Baby Ruth” mom looked up to her elder sisters, especially Rosa, who took Ruth under her wing, and brought her out to California to spend a few summers, where Rosa took time to mentor her younger sister as she grew up to be a young woman.

She attended Booker T. Washington Elementary School and later graduated from Carver High School where she met her first husband; Wendell Brown Sr. She later united in holy matrimony to Wendell Sr. and to this union 5 children were born.

In the early years as both a mother and wife, she helped run the family restaurant working as a waitress, dropping her kids off at school and helping dad provide a stable loving home for all of us. Mom was a deeply spiritual lady and as a charter member of the South Phoenix Baptist Church, always made sure that all her children understood the goodness of the lord. We attended Sunday services, Bible School and most any other church related activity, whether we wanted too or not. She wanted to make sure her kids had a good spiritual base to help them later in life, and we thank her for that.

Ruth loved playing the piano and always wanted to get formal training to improve her skills. She also loved to fish and would go every chance she got. She also wanted to improve her education and later computer skills, and attended Phoenix College. She was able to do Social work with the City of Phoenix in her senior years, but before that she worked at Motorola where she spent several years doing production work.

Ruth worked hard all her life and never abandoned the lord and even when she wasn’t able to get back to church service, she always read her bible and preached the gospel. She spent her last few days saying it was all in god’s hands, and when the time came and she took her last breath, the few family members that were present noticed a small tear in her left eye. I chose to believe that it was a tear of joy for finally making that long journey home and meeting her maker.

Of course we all are sad, but should also rejoice and celebrate her wonderful life, and all the joy she gave us. Ruth is now in a better place.

Ruth Ann Harris leaves to cherish her loving memory: two sons, Wendell Brown Jr. (wife Reidun) of Gilbert, Arizona, and Gregory Brown of Walla Walla, Washington, two daughters, Beverly Ray (husband James), of San Jose, California, Paulette Brown of Mesa, Arizona, granddaughter, Demetria Brown of Phoenix, Arizona, brother James Harris of Phoenix, Arizona and sister Cora Jones of Texas along with 11 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and a host of additional family and friends.