Linda Lue Harris

Funeral service for Linda Harris will be 11 a.m., Wed., Feb. 1, at First Baptist Church, Inola, with Elder Amos Allen officiating. Burial will follow at Willow Springs Cemetery under the direction of the Inola Funeral Home & Crematory. Visitation will be held at the funeral home Tues. 1-8 p.m., and family will greet friends 6-8 p.m.

Linda died Wed., Jan. 25, 2012, at St. Francis Hospital, Tulsa, at the age of 62.

Linda Lue Harris was born on April 14, 1949 to Johnny Dennis Terry and Georgia Mae Oliver Terry in Inola, Oklahoma. She was the third of five close-knit children born to this couple.

Due to segregation, Linda, along with her siblings, attended West Plain Elementary School, which was located approximately 50 feet from Linda’s current residence. And, the very ground that Linda’s home was built upon, was the playground. At the appropriate time, Linda went on to attend Lincoln Middle School in Wagoner, Oklahoma. However, the advent of integration afforded all of the Terry children, including Linda, the opportunity to continue their education in Inola Public Schools.

Linda accepted the Lord into her heart and life in her mid-teens under the ministry of Mother Ethel Cole and the pastorate of Elder Clarence Hickman at Inola Church of God in Christ.

When Linda’s father passed, she withdrew from school to help her mother meet their financial obligations. She went to work for Gateway Luggage in Claremore, Oklahoma and remained there for five years. In the interim, she pursued and obtained her High School Diploma.

On November 10, 1966, Linda married Franklin D. Harris. Their lifetime of 45 years together was filled with several trips to Canada, California and Michigan. She thoroughly enjoyed going to Drag Races to support Frank as well as his friends.

Linda and her Mother were two peas in a pod! They celebrated Jesus together, they hit their usual shopping hot spots - WalMart and Cato’s nearly every weekend! And Linda was there right up until her mother went to be with the Lord. Every week thereafter Linda made sure she cooked a meal for Papa John. Linda even had such a close relationship with her mother-in-law that she called her Grandma.

In 1975, Linda went to work for Whitaker State Children’s Home and was later transferred to the Department of Human Services and finally ended her career after 36 years at the Department of Rehabilitation Services. She was a timely, focused and dedicated worker whose integrity was experienced by all those who came in contact with her. She would buy movies, coloring books and candy to keep children occupied while parents were in the office.

In keeping with her encouraging spirit, Linda nurtured her nephew and niece, Frederick and Angela for several years. Then on July 26, 1980, she and Frank were blessed with Daniel Maurice Harris. His presence in their lives was the launch of several years of recording “home movies.” Ten years later, Linda became Legal Guardian of ten month old DeAnte’ LaJuan Terry. She never missed an athletic event, a parent-teacher conference, a school play or a musical recital. She made sure both Daniel and DeAnte’ had perfect attendance. And through all of this, she managed to also look after and care for her niece, ValTonia Terry for a number of years.

Linda enjoyed the company of her grandson, Jeremikel. She would pick him up nearly every weekend to spend time with her and “Paw” and bring him to church. She attended every basketball and football game of his, no matter how far the distance or how early the game. She would always say “Be good for Nana” when taking him back home.

As a matter of fact, to her nieces and nephews, she was the “favorite Aunt”! And to Pastor Cotton, she was the “favorite niece”! Linda was an incredible woman of faith and a conduit of God’s unconditional love. She will be deeply missed because her life impacted us all.

She leaves to cherish her memory, her husband, Frank Harris; sons, Daniel Harris and DeAnte’ Terry, all of Inola, OK; sisters, Madeline B. J. Terry Ridge, Ruthie Lee Terry and Erma Jean Terry White, all of Denton, TX; brother, Lorenzo Terry of Tulsa, OK; step-father, (Papa) John Roberson of Inola, OK; step sister, Louise Roberson of Sacramento, CA; foster sisters, Iona McNeely (Hartwell) of Houston, TX and Glennette Nelson of Tulsa, OK; grandchildren, Jeremikel Harris of Tulsa, OK, Mikah McKellip of Greenbay, WI and Abbott Honey of Vinita, OK; and a host of in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and friends.