Emogene "Gene" Harris

Virtually everyone she met was a friend. Her family described her with words like giving, sweet, loving, devoted, gentle and caring.  Emogene “Gene” Harris passed away in Temple on August 2, 2017 surrounded by her family. She was born in Italy, Texas on September 11, 1925, the youngest child of Joe Collie Price, Sr. and Grace Thomas Price. She was raised on a farm outside of Italy, and would make trips to town in a wagon. She was surrounded by family love and as the baby girl of the family, with two older brothers and two older sisters, she was always well taken care of. She graduated from Italy High School and attended Hill Jr. College. She met a boy in Italy named Jerome “Jerry” Harris, Jr. and the two were married on March 29, 1946. Her husband, a 1948 University of Texas graduate, embarked on a career in retail with the J.C. Penney Company. Jerry’s job took them to different locations, Austin, Texas, Shreveport, Louisiana, Atlanta, Georgia and Longview, Texas. Together Gene and Jerry would have two boys and one girl.  Jerry tragically died at the age of 42 in Longview. Gene, with family living in Temple, decided to move her family to Temple, where she initially taught at Kornegay Day School. As a single mother supporting her family, she began working at Scott & White in 1968. She first began as Clerk in OB‐GYN and later as a Supervisor. She ended her career at the Information Desk of the hospital. That likely was the perfect job for her where she greeted everyone with a smile, and with her caring and loving attitude. Scott & White visitors knew they would always be helped by her. Often strangers would tell her, “I know you from somewhere,” and it would turn out to be she had helped them at the Scott & White front desk. She retired from Scott & White in 2003 after 35 years of service. She enjoyed a life with her family, including grandchildren and great grandchildren and her very many friends. She was known for the many greeting cards she would send to everyone. If there was a special occasion in your life she would send you a Hallmark card, sometimes even with a stick of Juicy Fruit gum attached! She considered it her job to make you feel special.Following two broken hips, requiring replacement surgery within six months of each other, she was living at Park Place Manor in Belton at the time of her death. She passed away in the Emergency Room at Scott & White at age 91, where she was surrounded by her immediate family. She passed as the family prayed that she be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven and be reunited with her husband. Gene was a long‐time member of the Canyon Creek Baptist Church in Temple.She is survived by son Tom Harris and wife Nancy of Scottsdale, Arizona, daughter Sandra Perry and husband John of Salado, Texas, and son Ron Harris and wife Beth of Temple. She is also survived by four grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her brothers and sisters, Katherine Price, Mary Ruth Simmons, Joe C. Price, Jr, and Frank H. Price.Services for Gene will be at 10:00 A.M. on August 7th at Scanio Harper Funeral Home in Temple with Pastor Earl Craig officiating. She will be buried in Italy Cemetery following a brief graveside ceremony the same day.The family would like to thank the staff of the Scott & White Emergency Room for the care provided to Gene and the extreme kindness shown to family members. The family would also like to thank the staff of Park Place Manor for the loving care shown to her while she was a resident. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for memorials to be made to the Body of Christ Community Clinic, whose mailing address is 2608 N. Main B‐269 Belton, Texas 76513.