John T. Harris

John T. Harris, a lifelong resident of Parsons, passed away peacefully at the age of 90 on Sunday afternoon, January 14, 2024, at Quaker Hill Nursing Home near Baxter Springs.

Born on November 6, 1933, in rural Parsons to Earl Ross and Ruth Anna (Gillette) Harris, John had a quiet spirit and a warm heart. After graduating from Parsons High School and attending Parsons Junior College, he served 3 years in the Army as an aircraft mechanic stationed in Germany.

John was a claims adjustor in Southeast Kansas, working for the Ohio Casualty Insurance Company. John was known for his frugality, but also his generosity. In his younger years he enjoyed water skiing, bowling, and classic cars. John, with his father, built several homes around Parsons, including the family home on Pratt Road. He loved high school football and basketball games and watching the Kansas City Chiefs.

On June 2, 1963, he and Mona Faye Barnett married at the First Baptist Church in Parsons and spent the next 57 years together. She preceded him in death on July 24, 2020.  Their commitment to each other and their Christian faith was unwavering, and John was a long-time member of Parsons First Baptist Church.

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The family suggests memorials to the Labette Community College Foundation for the Mona Harris Scholarship for nursing.