THOMAS JEFFERSON HARRIS, fourth child of JAMES HARRIS and REBECCA HARGROVE, was born near Murfreesboro, Tennessee on November 14, 1839.  He came to Texas by riverboat, traveling down the Tennessee River into the Mississippi River, then up the Red River and on into Natchitoches, Louisiana.   Traveling across land to Shelby County, Texas, he bought a farm near the Flat Fork Creek about four miles north of Center on what is now the Henrietta Road.  He owned slaves and set up a cotton gin nearby.  He fought in the Civil War, and upon his return married SARAH JANE GARRETT in 1865 or 1866.  Sarah Jane Garrett was born in Shelby County, Texas, on March 30, 1848, and was a daughter of JULIUS N. GARRETT and MARY MINERVA "POLLY" TRUITT GARRETT.   About 1900, Thomas Jefferson and Sarah bought a home nearer the town of Center on the Henrietta Road.  The Harris home was always full of pot plants, and the yard a showplace of flowers. In the warm months the pot plants filled the front porch, and in the winter months they were moved inside.  Thomas Jefferson Harris died of pneumonia on November 21, 1908, one week after his 69th birthday.  Sarah Jane Harris died on New Years Day, 1926, at the age of 77.  Both are buried in Truitt Cemetery, Shelby County, Texas.

The children of Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Jane Harris:

     JAMES TRUITT HARRIS, first child of Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Harris, was born October 28, 1867 in Shelby County, Texas.  He married MARY ELLA POWDRILL on December 10, 1894.  She was born February 6, 1880 in Shelby County, Texas.  James died on December 18, 1946.  Mary died on April 11, 1951. Both are buried    in New Hope Cemetery, Shelby County, Texas.

The children of James Truitt and Mary Ella Harris:

    2.  HERBERT BRIDGES HARRIS, second child of James Truitt and Mary Harris, was born in 1897 in Shelby County, Texas.  He married MARGARET BIGGAR on June 25, 1925.  Maggie was the daughter of R. M. and DORA CREECH BIGGAR.    Bridges resided in Center, Texas his entire life.  He was a lumberman and banker, building many homes and several chicken houses in Shelby and San Augustine Counties.  He was elected President of Farmers State Bank in 1934 and remained either President or Chairman of the Board until his retirement.  He died in1980 and is buried in       __________ Cemetery, Shelby County, Texas.

The children of Bridges and Margaret Harris:

    3..  JAMES CARROLL HARRIS, third child of James Truitt and Mary Harris, was born in 1899 in Shelby County, Texas.  He married ALLIE B. CORBITT in Shelby County, Texas.  He was a farmer and oilman. James died in June 17, 1945 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Center, Shelby County, Texas.

The children of James and Allie Harris:

    a.  MARIE HARRIS, child of James and Allie Harris, married ROY JOHNSON.  To this union ROBERT C. ADAMS JOHNSON, STEPHEN ADAMS JOHNSON and THERESA PAUL JOHNSON were born.   No other data available.   

    4.  LEVI MORGAN HARRIS, fourth child of James Truitt and Mary Harris, was born in 1901 in Shelby County Texas.  He married IVA DELL SAMFORD.   Levi Harris died in 1966.  No other data available.

The children of Levi and Iva Dell Harris:

    a. LEVI MORGAN HARRIS, JR., child of Levi and Iva Dell Harris, married MARY CAROLL. To this union MARY ELIZABETH HARRIS and ALLYSON HARRIS were born.        

    5.  JAMES TRUITT "BABE" HARRIS, JR., fifth child of James Truitt and Mary Harris, was born in February 25, 1903 in Shelby County, Texas.   He married PAULA SATTERWHITE  in Shelby County, Texas.  He died on October 4, 1945 and is buried in New Hope Cemetery, Shelby County, Texas. 

The children of Babe and Paula Harris:

    a.  JAMES HENRY HARRIS, first child of Babe and Paul Harris, married LETA HOLT.  No other data available.

    b.  MARY EDITH HARRIS, second child of Babe and Paula Harris, married JOE DAVIS FOSTER. 

The children of Joe and Mary Foster:

    c.  GEORGE THOMAS HARRIS, third child of Babe and Paula Harris.  No other data available.    

     PALESTINE "Pallie" A. HARRIS, second child of Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Harris, was born April 1, 1869.  She married ALEXANDER LUCIUS HARRISON on July 2, 1884.  He was born August 19, 1858 and died April 1, 1938.   Pallie died on January 3, 1933 and is buried in Newbern Cemetery, Shelby County, Texas.

The Children of Alexander and Pallie Harrison:

    1. MARY LENA HARRISON, first child of Alexander and Pallie Harrison, married WALTER A. SKATES. 

The children of Walter and Mary Skates:

    2. ELIZABETH JANE HARRISON, second child of Alexander and Pallie Harrison, married HOWARD B. JOLLEY.   No other data available.

    3. THOMAS BYRON HARRISON, third child of Alexander and Pallie Harrison, married SYBLE LONG.  To this union YVONNE HARRISON was born.

    4.  BRICE TURRENTINE HARRISON, fourth child of Alexander and Pallie Harrison, married Thelma (last name unknown).   To this union ANNE HARRISON was born.

    5.  JAMES BUREN HARRISON, fifth child of Alexander and Pallie Harrison, married CELIA OWENS.   To this union ALENE HARRISON was born.

    6.  WILEY BRAXTON HARRISON, sixth child of Alexander and Pallie Harrison, married MAUDE LEE CORLEY. 

The children of Wiley and Maude Harrison:

     a.  MABEL HARRISON, first child of Wiley and Maude Harrison, married ???? LEMASTER.  To this union MARGARET LE MASTER was born.

    d.  WILEY BRAXTON HARRISON, JR., fourth child of Wiley and Maude Harrison, married GEORGIA MARIE WOMACK.   To this union DIXIE HARRISON, PENNY HARRISON and BRACK HARRISON were born.

    f.   JAMES REBYL HARRISON, sixth child of Wiley and Maude Harrison, married BEATRICE KELLEY.   To this union GEORGE BRAXTON HARRISON was born

      JULIUS M. HARRIS, third child of Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Harris, was born in June 2, 1870 in Shelby County, Texas.  He married ANNIE HURT.   To this union JAMES HARRIS was born.  He died in 1943.

    .  MOLLIE HARRIS, fourth child of Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Harris, was born in May 16, 1872 in Shelby County, Texas. She married R. C. SANDERS on October 17, 1891.  R. C. was born March 28, 1855  To this union CLYDE SANDERS, JESSIE SANDERS, JENNY SANDERS and EVA SANDERS were born.  R. C. died on April 11, 1913.

     SARAH ELIZABETH HARRIS, fifth child of Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Harris, was born in March 3, 1874 in Shelby County Texas.  She married WAYMAN WALTERS on October 28, 1894. To this union LILA WALTERS was born.  Sarah married second time WESLEY BURKE ROBERTSON on November 2, 1903.  Wesley was born April 30, 1870 in Texas.  To this union JAMES ROBERTSON, IVA PEARL ROBERTSON and ILLA BELLE ROBERTSON were born. Wesley died on January 27, 1936 and  Sarah Elizabeth died September 2, 1959 in Shelby  County, Texas. 

       ADDIE HARRIS, sixth child of Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Harris, was born in January 16, 1875 in Shelby County, Texas..  She married V. H. BREWER on April 30, 1902.  To this union ALTON BREWER was born.  She died in January, 1934.

     ANNIE MISSOURI HARRIS, seventh child of  Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Harris, was born in 1877 in Shelby County, Texas..   She married LAWRENCE CRAWFORD on November 29, 1899.   Annie died on November 29, 1971 in Shelby County, Texas.

The children of Lawrence and Annie Crawford:

    1.  VERA CRAWFORD, first child of Lawrence and Annie Crawford, was born in 1903.  No other data available.

    2. REBA CRAWFORD, second child of Lawrence and Annie Crawford, was born in 1906.  She married LOMAN STANLEY TURNER on  July 31, 1926.  To this union KENNETH TURNER, born 1929 and JANE ANN TURNER, born 1933.

    3.  VELTON CRAWFORD, third child of Lawrence and Annie Crawford, was born in 1907.  He married LETA REU.   To this union VELTON MARION CRAWFORD, JR, and  BARBARA ANN CRAWFORD were born.

    4.  ANNIE B. CRAWFORD, fourth child of Lawrence and Annie Crawford, was born in 1909.  She married RICHARD H. SIMMONS.  No other data available.

    5.  HULON CRAWFORD, fifth child of Lawrence and Annie Crawford, was born in 1913.  He married ELOISE FOX.   To this union EVELYN ROSELENE CRAWFORD was born.

    6.  RUTH CRAWFORD, sixth child of Lawrence and Annie Crawford, was bon in 1915.  She married JOE E. RUSSELL. To this union MARY JUNE RUSSELL, born 1943 and CORA ANN RUSSELL, born 1947.

      JOHN GARRETT HARRIS, eighth child of Thomas Jefferson and Sarah Harris, was born January 11, 1886 in the log house four miles north of Center on the Henrietta Road.  He married      LILA ALVA SMITH on May 16, 1916 in Shelby County, Texas.   John G. received little schooling, having to walk the distance into town to attend school, he completed only the fifth grade.  He had a traditional farm upbringing.   He enrolled in a business school in Dallas, but found his educational background was lacking to keep up.  He worked in a Dallas lumber yard and tried telegraph school for a time.  He then ventured across Texas and into New Mexico, working on the railroad. John G. returned to Center and then ventured into the Brownsville, Texas area where he worked on ranches and a sugar plantation.  In May of 1913, while employed with a Brownsville construction company, he worked in Rio Bravo, Mexico.  While in Mexico he was captured by Poncho Villa's men and was sentence to die before a firing squad.  He was forced to to help dig the trench for the common grave of those who were to be executed.  After much cunning and quick thinking, he convinced the rebels that he was on their side, and that he would like to join their cause.  He volunteered to stand night guard while the others slept, and finally found his chance to slip into the Rio Grande and float down the river until he landed on the Texas side of the border.  He returned to Center on December 22, 1913 in time to spend Christmas at home, but this time to stay.  John G. bought fifty acres of land across the road from his birthplace and began to farm.  In 1914, his older brother, Jim Harris who was established in the lumber business in Center traded two railroad cars of lumber to a man who owned a hardware store on the east side of the Center Square.  Jim offered his brother, John G., a 50-50 partnership to run the business for him.  The hardware store was moved to the west side of Center Square.   The complete inventory was moved by wheelbarrow and a one-mule wagon driven by Clayton Folsom.  The business continued to grow and in the summer of 1915, a young school teacher, hearing about the eligible new businessman, came into the store to buy a rug.  Rather than sending his hired hand to make the delivery, John walked the half mile with the rug on his back to the residence of VIRGIL SMITH on Cora Street, and installed the rug selected by MISS LILA SMITH.  They were soon engaged and were married on May 16, 1916.    In 1921 John G. bought out his brother's share of the business.  Salesmen and delivery trucks with black lettering which read "J. G. Harris Hardware and Furniture Co., Center, Texas, Wholesale and Retail," were a familiar sight throughout East Texas.  For forty-five years the J. G. Harris store stood on the west side of Center square, an important and well-known fact in the area's economy. In 1926 they traded land for a house at 909 Cora Street where they lived out their lives.  John Garrett Harris died on November 22, 1955.  Lila Smith Harris died on April 8, 1982.   Both are buried in Oaklawn Cemetery, Center, Shelby County, Texas.

The children of John Garrett and Lila Harris:

    1.  JOHN REAGAN HARRIS, child of John and Lila Harris, was born August 4, 1929.  His childhood was spent in Center, Texas and during the depression years, time was spent in his father's hardware store where he receive constant training in the ways of a business world and in working with the public.  In the summer of 1944, after spending time at summer camp in Kerrville, he was stricken with polio.  He was treated in the polio center at New Orleans, Louisiana for a six months.  He missed his junior years of high school except for private tutoring, he returned to Center and was determined to graduate with his classmates.  In 1946 he earned the highest average of the boys and received his diploma with the class.  The following year he entered Baylor University in Waco, Texas.  He received a Bachelor of Arts in business, English and Piano in 1950.  He was active in student affairs and was a member of Delta Sigma Pi.  Enjoying the atmosphere of the classroom and the association of teachers John Reagan returned to school to become a teacher.  In 1960 he received the Master of Education degree from Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas and did graduate work in Guadalajara, Mexico.  From 1957 to 1971 he was employed as a teacher of English, Spanish and business subjects in Center High School.  In 1983 he entered the business world, opening a home center and lumber yard in the building where he had worked with his father.  John Reagan is active in many local and state organizations; Rotary Club, Lions Club, American Cancer Society, Shelby County Historical Commission, Chamber of Commerce and Sons of the Republic of Texas.   He began taking piano lessons in his early childhood, which led him to become pianist at the First Baptist Church, Center.  Additionally he was responsible for the design and execution of the remolding of the church Sanctuary and the installation of the pipe organ.

       THOMAS ARLINGTON HARRIS, ninth child of Thomas and Sarah Harris, was born on January 20 1899 Center, Shelby County, Texas.  He died  March 5, 1960 in Big Spring, Texas He married PHENIE LAVORA HUGHES on November 7, 1915. She was born January 20, 1894 in Shelby County, Texas.  Thomas died on March 5, 1960 in Big Spring, Texas and Phenie died December 4, 1968 in Merritt Island, Brevard, Florida.

The children of Thomas and Phenie Harris:

    1. THOMAS ARLINGTON HARRIS, JR., first child of Thomas and Phenie Harris, was born February 23, 1918 in Center, Shelby County, Texas.  He married CLARINDA MARY SANDERS on October 7, 1945.   To this union LEAH LEA HARRIS, born 1952 and CLARINDA SARAH HARRIS, born 1952. 

    2.  DAISY HARRIS, second child of Thomas and Phenie Harris, was born on November 28, 1919.  She died on December 2, 1919 in Center, Shelby County, Texas.  She is buried in Truitt Cemetery, Shelby County, Texas.

    3.  EDITH MARIE HARRIS, third child of Thomas and Phenie Harris, was born November 28, 1922 in Shelby County, Texas.   She married WILLIAM JOSEPH MOUNTZ, JR. on August 21, 1947.

The children of William and Edith Mountz:

    a.  JANE KATHRYN MOUNTZ, first child of William and Edith Mountz, was born in 1948.  She married ERIC ANDREW HARMS.  To this union ALYSON ELIZABETH HARMS, born 1979 and  SARAH JANE HARMS, born 1981.

    b. THOMAS WILLIAM MOUNTZ, second child of William and Edith Mountz, was born in 1950.  He married PATSY ANN PEARCE and to this union WILLIAM THOMAS MOUNTZ was born.

    c.  JOHN FRANCIS MOUNTZ, third child of William and Edith Mountz, was born in 1953.  He married BEVERLY ANN JONES.  To this union JENNIFER ANN MOUNTZ, born 1977 and MELISSA LYNN MOUNTZ, born 1981.

    d. JAMES ERWIN MOUNTZ, fourth child of William and Edith Mountz, was born in 1953.  He married JOYCE MARIE HOOKER.  To this union KRISTIE GALE MOUNTZ, born 1978 and JAMES ANTHONY MOUNTZ, born 1983.

    4.  JACK HUGHES HARRIS, fifth child of Thomas and Phenie Harris, was born June 17, 1924 in Center, Shelby County, Texas.  He married ETHEL FRANCES COLLEY on August 25, 1946.

The children of Jack and Ethel Harris:

    a.  LINDA ETHEL HARRIS, first child of Jack and Ethel Harris, was born in 1947. She married JAMES WILLIAM SULLIVAN.  To this union ANDREW JAMES SULLIVAN, born 1970 and JENNIE ETHEL SULLIVAN, born 1975.

    b. DANIEL JACK HARRIS, second child of Jack and Ethel Harris, was born in 1951.  He married MARGARET HALL.   To this union DANIEL JACK HARRIS, JR, born 1976, MARY FRANCES HARRIS, born 1978 and DAVID CRAIG HARRIS, born 1979.

    c.  JOHN COLLEY HARRIS, third child of Jack and Ethel Harris, was born in 1955.  He married VICTORIA ANN HAZZARD.  To this union JOHN COLLEY HARRIS, JR. was born in 1979.

      HARVEY WELLINGTON HARRIS, tenth child of Thomas and Sarah Harris, was born on October 20, 1891 in Center, Shelby County, Texas.  He married DAISY MERLE TRUE on June 12, 1920. Daisy was born October 27, 1897.  To this union MARTHA LOUISE HARRIS, January 14, 1926 and JACK TRUE HARRIS, December 21, 1928 were born.  Harvey died on July 1, 1958.

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