Funeral services for Eudora (Watson) Harris, 94, of Portales, will be held at 10:00 AM, Tues., Aug. 3, 2021 at the First Baptist Church in Portales with Dr. David McFadden officiating, assisted by Rev. Philip Smith. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Dale Arnold, David Arnold, Jeff Arnold, Curtis James, Cody James and Don James serving as pallbearers. All of her other grandchildren will serve as honorary pallbearers. Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home, P O Box 629, Portales, NM 88130.
Avis Eudora Harris, known to most people as either Eudora or Dodi, was born April 2, 1927 in Elida, NM to the home of Sylvania (Richeson) and Thomas Cavener, and died early Friday morning, July 30, 2021 in Portales. Mrs. Harris grew up in Portales, and graduated from Portales High School in 1945. She went on to attend Eastern New Mexico University for a year, before marrying Alvin Watson on May 25, 1946 in Portales. They made their home in Crossroads, NM, where she was a fulltime homemaker until 1963, when she returned to university to complete her degree in Education. She began teaching 4th, 5th and 6th grade students in the Tatum school, and taught there until her retirement in the early 1990’s. She completed her Ed Specialist degree in 1976. At least one year, Eudora was chosen as Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Watson preceded her in death on Aug. 14, 1979. On June 28, 1984, she was married to Ed Harris. They continued to make their home in Crossroads until she retired. At that time they moved to Portales. Mrs. Harris was a very active member of the Baptist Church throughout her lifetime. She had made two mission trips to Thailand. While living in Crossroads, she was a member of the Crossroads church. After she and Mr. Harris came to Portales they were members at Calvary Baptist Church. Mr. Harris also preceded her in death on Aug.6, 1996. Following his death she moved her membership to the First Baptist Church. Mrs. Harris taught AWANAS, VBS, and anything else that involved children.
She was a voracious reader, especially of the Bible. Mrs. Harris was an avid gardener. She loved to travel, and had made a number of trips with the King’s Highway tours. She and her sisters together had documented virtually every family event and trip, and they were all kept in very orderly albums.
She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Alvonna and Brian Arnold of Portales, and Elaine and Louis James of Nara Visa, NM; a step-son Eddie Harris of Houston, TX; a step-daughter and son-in-law, Phyllis and Larry Spears of Houston, TX; 11 grandchildren, Dale (Twila) Arnold, David (Stephanie) Arnold, Jeff (Tiah) Arnold, Curtis James, Jennie (Paul) Hodgen, Cody (Kodie) James, Don James, Kwana Taylor, Tara Hill, Kambri Eichenberger and Kalee Haragan; 6 step-grandchildren, Stuart (Joyce) Spears, Susan (Gregory) Pratt, Bert Goodman, Bart Goodman, Jon Harris and Jak (Kelly) Harris; 17 great-grandchildren and 11 step-great-grandchildren; a brother, James “Buddy” Cavener of Grandbury, TX; two sisters, Roedean Jordan of Artesia, NM and Reba Loring Camp of Alamogordo, NM; and two sisters-in-law, Faye Harral of Roswell, NM and Doris Dean of Hobbs, NM. Besides her two husbands, she was preceded in death by a great-granddaughter, Bryntli Buras; four sisters, Jennie Mae Brown, Nina Lee Ross, Oleta Jordan and Naomi Horton and by her son, Alvis Watson who died July 16, 2016.
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