Viva C Harris

Born August 13, 1920 in Rushville to Joseph Ray and Cressa Grace (Juett) Long, she married Ralph C. Harris on October 12, 1940 in Keokuk, Iowa. He survives.

Also surviving are one daughter, Judith C. (Scott) Kimzey of Peoria; one son, Rev. Kenneth L. (Renee) Harris of Moline; two grandchildren, Chris (Jennifer) Booher of Bartonville and Valerie (Kerry) O'Connor of Clarendon Hills and one great-grandson, Henry.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers and one sister.

Viva worked on the family farm with her husband until retiring in 1978. She was proud to have been involved in her children's activities including Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts and the band.

Viva was a longtime and faithful member of Grace United Methodist Church in Pekin, where she was a member and past-president of the United Methodist Women. She also had served the church as a sixth grade Sunday school teacher with her husband for nearly 20 years. She was a past president of the Peoria District United Methodist Women and a former secretary of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of the United Methodist Women. Viva had served on numerous committees of the church and was a member of the Rachel-Sarah Circle. She was a former lay delegate to Annual Conference.

Viva was a member of Church Women United and the Pekin Women's Club, of which she was a past president.

Her funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 19, 2008at Grace United Methodist Church in Pekin. The Rev. Kenneth L. Harris, her son, and the Rev. Gary L. Ford will officiate. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, February 18, 2008at Preston-Hanley Funeral Home, Pekin Chapel, and also from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Tuesday at the church. Burial will be in Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin.

Memorial contributions may be made to her church or to the United Methodist Women of her church, 503 North 4th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.