Arrie Myrtle Harris was the youngest child of Joel C. Harris and Paulena Elizabeth (Moore) Harris. She was born April 23, 1892. According to the 1900 Federal Census, she was born in Arkansas. I have not located a state birth certificate, yet. We believe that Joel Harris took his family from Chambers County, Alabama to Arkansas about 1890. Which leads us to assume that other family may have already arrived in Arkansas. The first census record for Arrie M. Harris is found with her parents on the 1900 Census in Bloomberg, Cass County, TX.. She is shown as a student.

I have spent many hours trying to locate all of Arrie’s descendants and by quirk of fate found Donnie Eubanks, the stepdaughter of Lena Jo Folsom. Lena Jo was the daughter of Arrie Harris and Joe W. Lewis. She has fond memories of her grandmother Arrie.

  Arrie was a very pretty child and young woman. I have two pictures of her, both were taken at Bramm’sStudio in Atlanta, TX. The first about 1900 and the second in 1910. The second picture tells the story of two very close sisters, Arrie and Susie Ida, my great grandmother. Arrie with her first child Clarence Broome and Susie with her children. The companion picture shows Harvey Broome with James Edward Swearengin and Susie. This was the engagement or wedding picture for Susie and James Edward.

In a letter to her niece [my grand aunt] Verna (Parker) Varnell, Arrie gives the impression of being a very caring person. She seems very organized and to be a record keeper of important papers and dates. Most notably, she recognizes the importance of passing along family history. In the letter, she shows concern for her parents and her brothers and sisters. She wants to make the record clear.

Arrie later married T. C. McRae in Little Rock, Pulaski Co., Arkansas, September 20, 1937. Which ends shortly thereafter. Then, January 28, 1942, Arrie married Harvey I. Evans in Saline Co. Arkansas. Arrie was a very interesting woman, she appeared to live according to her rules and chose relationships that surely spawned comment during this era. T.C. McRae and Harvey I. Evans were significantly younger than Arrie. I must wonder if Arrie was a victim of circumstance by the inheritance of her father’s estate. She adjusted her age on both of the marriage licenses, still, both indicated a significant age difference. It seems no one was ever sure of her age. While such an age difference may have been frowned upon during this period, many women married men much younger than themselves.

Arrie seemed to posses a lot of energy. Betty Louise Lewis Guiffra remembered Arrie as a "social butterfly" who liked being the center of attention. She was not the dotting grandmotherly type. Betty went to the movies with her on occasion. She was strong willed and got her way quite often.

She was not outwardly religious, there was little leniency given to a divorcee’ by religious organizations This social attitude was was catalyst in Arrie’s overall perception of things. She was raised Methodist by her mother Paulena Carol Sue Lewis Wright remembered Arrie as a responsible person. She was there if she was needed. Arrie often came by J C’s home in the afternoons to check on Carol while her parents worked. Carol spent time with Arrie and stayed over night with her. Arrie had chickens and they fed them together and gathered eggs. Carol said she hated the roosters that chased and flogged them.

Arrie and Harvey Evans lived in North Little Rock at 603 W. 43rd Street. She died May 1, 1961 in her home. According to Jane at Drummond Funeral Home, Services were performed by Rev. M.L. Mosher and she was buried at Pine Crest Cemetery in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

This is small portion of the letter from Arrie to her niece Verna Estelle Parker Varnell.

She gave birth dates and death dates of her parents, Joel and ‘Lizzie’ Harris. She gave a brief history of the family and wrote, "your grandmother (Paulena Elizabeth, "Lizzie") was a Moore and her father was named Jim Moore. She had only one brother and he died. Your grandfather’s (Joel C.), father (Isham D. Harris) got killed in the war--of the North and South. They all lived in Alabama, I don’t remember just what town. your grandfather ( Joel C.) had one brother Isam Harris. Your grandmother and grandfather all come of fine Good Blood. Your grandmother(‘Lizzie’) was a wonderful woman-- blonde. Your grandfather as a wonderful man --black hair and dark, like you and your mother(Susie Ida). She followed with--"And I am wondering if your mother ever told you much about your father ( Luther Noah Parker). You see I stayed with Susie a lot when you all were babies and before I married. Your daddy provided well for his family. The Parker’s are very fine people." She wrote the letter between 1957 and 1960.

Also, Bertie Swearengin Davlin Pruitt, daughter Myrtle Davlin. And Ruby Swearengin Ashborn, children Renee, Viola, and Blanche.

I research our family history in my spare time. It is a tedious and time consuming process. I find information in the library but more often, I find it in forgotten places, in old family albums, Christmas cards, wedding announcements, or old letters. A picture often has a name and/or location on the back. Often that location is a clue to finding a family member. Or, sometimes, looking at old family pictures will evoke a memory of an event that will lead to a name and location. Christmas cards, birthday cards can provide information just by the signature/s. I thought I was the only one who tore off the return address and put it in the card, but, I have found many people do this. Even if the address is an old one, it is a starting point.