Margaret Ann “Maggie” Harris, age 87 and 11 months, moved to her eternal home on December 29. She was able to begin the holidays with all the family with a game night party. December 23, she was taken to the hospital and after a short fight, moved back home with hospice where she passed with family by her side.
Maggie was born on January 23, 1936 to John and Ida Lynch at the hospital in Great Bend, Kansas. She grew up in Macksville, KS and moved to St. John where she graduated in 1953. She was raised an only child. She went to Denver Colorado Women’s College and onto Emporia State where she received an associate degree in Secretarial Science and Business. She was a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority.
June 3, 1956 she married Stan Harris in St. John. They moved to Lawrence where they would live their life together. They had one daughter, Lisa Ann. Maggie was a medical secretary/business manager for Dr. Walter’s and Reed until she retired in 1966. After that she was a stay at home mom, taking advantage of being a home room “mom” for Lisa and going on all the school field trips. She loved to attend all of the school events and had her first plane ride going with the Lawrence High School band to Portland in 1979. She liked to help others and volunteered with “Meals on Wheels” for many years. Her favorite hobby was playing bridge and was in a couple dinners bridge groups, and several bridge clubs in Lawrence. She was a member of the United Methodist Church. Stan and Maggie enjoyed KU football and attended home games for over 50 years only missing one when Lisa graduated from college. Both being only children their four grandchildren were a highlight of their life and they traveled to St. John to watch most of their sporting events and band concerts. Their granddaughter, Cami, went on to play volleyball in college and they had fun traveling to her games and getting to know her team mates. Maggie and Stan’s house was always open to friends. They enjoyed it when the grandkids would bring friends and stay with them for camps and ball games. They even had the girls high school basketball team camped out all over their house! Their oldest granddaughter, Melissa went to college at Baker and KU and having her and her family close was another treat for them.
In 2015, after Stan passed, Maggie, bought a house and moved to Great Bend, KS. She enjoyed the last eight years making new friends, attending craft classes, community concerts, taking bus trips to Wichita to see Broadway shows, and playing bridge. She also enjoyed living close to Lisa and getting to go to her Great Bend/St. John great grandkids parties. She joined the Trinity Methodist Church and also attended the Christian Church.
Maggie is survived by her daughter, Lisa Harris Cornwell and Joe, her granddaughters Melissa Ann and Jake Cline, Cami Jo and Burke Long, and Marci and Austin Klug. and grandson, Ty Harris and Vanessa Cornwell. She is survived by nine great grandchildren, Jack and Kolt Cline, Gentri and Hadley Bright, Dawsyn Ann Long, Kambri and Kenton Klug, Victor and Tianna Cornwell. Those who went to heaven before her include her husband, Stan Harris, her parents John and Ida Lynch, and a baby brother, Robert Edward.
Visitation will be from 1-5 PM on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 at the funeral home. Funeral service will be 10:30 A.M., Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 at Minnis Chapel, St. John with Carl Feril presiding. Burial will follow in the Fairview Park Cemetery, St. John. Memorials may be given to the USD 350 Education Foundation in care of Minnis Chapel, P.O. Box 34, St. John, KS 67576.
Funeral services provided by
Minnis Chapel
P.O. Box 34
St. John, KS 67576
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Jan. 2, 2024
