Barbara Joan Harris

Barbara was born in Skidmore, Texas, to Clyde Priour and Lucylle Norvelle, one of three sisters born in the little section house by the railroad tracks that ran through town. Life wasn’t always easy in those early years—but she learned grit, grace, and gumption from a young age. Those lessons shaped the spirited young woman she would become.

In high school, Barbara was known for her energy and charm. She was drum major of the marching band, homecoming queen, and head cheerleader. She was a natural leader who carried herself with confidence and joy. She later married Eldon Harris, and together they raised three children. Though life would ultimately take them on separate paths, they shared many meaningful years and memories as they built their family.

Barbara’s work ethic was unmatched—and it started early. She began working at just eight years old and carried that determination throughout her life. She often held multiple jobs at once while caring for her family. She spent several years working at the courthouse in El Centro, California, but most of her career was spent doing what she loved—serving others. She worked as a waitress for many years even owning and operating her own restaurant, pouring her heart into the people and community she cherished.

Barbara loved the Lord all her life. She carried a small pink Bible, well-worn and loved, that looked as though it had been with her since childhood—always tucked away in her purse. That purse, known for holding just about everything, often weighed more than she did. Barbara loved Jesus deeply and delighted in singing “This Little Light of Mine” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, always exaggerating the part in the song where she would blow out the candle, much to their laughter and joy. Though her memory faded in later years, her love for her family—and for her Savior—never did.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Lucylle Norvelle and Clyde Priour; her sisters Betty Embry and Beverly Anderson; her son Ronald Harris; her second husband Alton Parker; and “The Twins.”

She is survived by her daughters Mitzi Hughes (Charlie) and Lisa Solomon (Mike); her grandchildren Leeah Hughes (Andrew), Lindsey Bromley (Justin), Travis Hughes (Kelsi), Makayla Lineberry, and Ryan Solomon; and her great-grandchildren Kennedy Stensland and Baby-to-Be Stensland, Dreyton, Ryker, and Emmalyn Bromley, Cameron Hughes, and Lana Rae Lineberry.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, October 10th, at Evergreen Cemetery in Skidmore, Texas. A luncheon will follow at Beeville Steakhouse, where family and friends are invited to share stories and celebrate Barbara’s beautiful life.

Barbara’s light continues to shine in the hearts of all who loved her—a testament to a life well-lived, a faith well-kept, and a love that will never fade.