Our loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Betty Pass Harris, passed from this life on October 24th, 2007. The daughter of Jesse and Etta Pass, Betty was born in Belzoni, Mississippi, on August 3, 1942. She graduated as a member of the Water Valley High School Class of 1959. After graduation, Betty lived in a small apartment in Memphis, Tennessee, with her oldest brother, Bobby John Pass, and her best friend, Margaret Boyles Ratliff, as the original “Three’s Company”. She began her career working in Memphis, as a sales telemarketer and soon transferred to Commercial Credit as an assistant bookkeeper. One weekend, Betty came home to visit her mother and family. During her visit, she struck eyes with Charles Lynn Harris in the local grocery store. He asked her on their first date to go to the Oxford Drive-In, where it was love at first sight. They seemed to be meant for each other and six months later they ran away to Decatur, Alabama, to elope accompanied by her sister Wanda Pass Page, best friend Margaret Boyles Ratliff and brother Bobby Pass at their sides. They weren’t able to elope and came home to marry one week later at the chapel at the Oxford Church of Christ. After marriage, Charlie and Betty moved to Dallas, Texas, so that Charlie could pursue mortuary science studies at the Dallas Institute College of Mortuary Science of Gupton-Jones. Betty became pregnant with her son, Charles Lynn Harris, Jr., and moved back home to Water Valley, leaving Charlie to complete his degree and return home soon after. Once settled, she took on the role of loving mother to a new baby boy while Charlie went to work at Water Valley Funeral Home, which later changed to Henry Funeral Home. Betty and Charlie moved to Tchula, Mississppi where Charlie was accepted into the Mississippi Highway Patrol. While on a long weekend in Water Valley, Hamric Henry persuaded Charlie and Betty to move back home so that they could rejoin the funeral home business. Charlie went back to work at Henry Funeral Home with his mentor and Betty took a job at Sears in Water Valley. They later had an opportunity to buy Blu Buck Furniture and Appliances, but after numerous floods in the area, they had to relocate to the Chittom building in Water Valley, soon renaming the business to Harris Furniture and Appliance. In 1977, she gave birth to their second child, daughter Candice Harris Kidder. Charlie went back to work in the funeral home business at Browning Funeral Home in Water Valley. Betty left the furniture business as well and then accepted a job at Crawford and Associates, where she was trained under Brownie Crawford and began her career in poultry brokerage and sales. Years later, she joined MillCreek Trading, a poultry brokerage and sales firm, where she worked until her passing.
Betty was a member of The Church of Christ and was past President of The Water Valley Garden Club, as well as a supporter of Water Valley Athletics and Cheerleading programs. She is survived by her husband and soul mate of 46 years, Charles Lynn Harris, Manager and Co-owner of Seven Oaks Funeral Home; her mother, Etta Pass Hodnett, of Water Valley; daughter, Candice Harris Kidder, of Houston, Texas; son, Charles Lynn Harris, Jr., of Walls, Mississippi; sisters, Wanda Pass Page and Martha Pass Davis, both of Memphis, Tennessee; and brother, Bobby J. Pass of Collierville, Tennessee; as well as grandchildren, Lacey, Brittany, and Terri Lynn Harris, all of Water Valley. She was preceded in death by her father, Jesse Harold Pass, mother-in-law, Janie Ford Harris, and daughter Beth Harris.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, October 27, 2007 in the Henry Chapel of Seven Oaks Funeral Home with Brother Duane Ellis and Brother Ken Izzard officiating. Special music was provided by Bob and Glenda Singleton and burial took place at Oak Hill Cemetery in Water Valley. Pallbearers included Larry Bell, Joe Newman, Billy Freed, John Pass, D. R. Ingram, and Steve Ford. If desired, memorial donations in her memory may be made to any local Church of Christ, or to The American Heart Association per family request.