Willie Ruth Haynes Harris, 96, was born in Houston, Texas, May 7, 1927, to Earnest and Jeanette Haynes. She attended HISD schools and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1943. After her graduation she attended a business training school where she received business and secretarial training. She then began working at HISD. She married her childhood sweetheart, Herbert Harris on January 25, 1946. From this union 12 children were born, six boys and six girls. She was a devoted wife and mother who leaned on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for guidance and strength to complete what she thought was her mission in life. She was her children’s first Bible teacher and diligently taught Bible lessons and stories. She taught her children to memorize verses and to quote them during their study sessions.
Additionally, she taught her children many valuable life skills so they would be independent and productive adults. She also shared her faith, wisdom and love with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. During her spare moments, she loved visiting and interacting with a few special ladies in the neighborhood, especially Mrs. Elizabeth Peavy, Mrs. Celia Streety, Mrs. Sammie Mae Ford, and Mrs. Jean Marie Jackson. She regularly tried to share and pour God’s love into her family and others that were put into her path. Early in her life, she was a member of Greater Zion Baptist Church, formally known as Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where her Grandfather W.H. Haynes was elected and served as pastor from 1921-1931.
She later became a member of Acreage Home Church of God where she served in many capacities until her demise. Willie Ruth made her transition March 8, 2024. She is preceded in death by her husband Herbert Harris, her parents Ernest Haynes and Jeanette Davis, her son David Harris, her sister Lois Hall, and grandsons Herbert Harris III and Damian Wade. She leaves to mourn her passing, Herbert (Carol), Eunice (Andrew), Sandra (Charles), Timothy (Alice), Ernest, Deborah (Mark), Linda (Gerald), Barbara (Kirk), Anthony, Annette (Kenneth) and Jonathan. 34 grandchildren, 38 great grandchildren, 4 great great grandchildren, her sister Joyce Haynes of Oakland, California, niece Meredith Austin, daughter-in- law Gloria Harris and a host of cousins, relatives and friends.
