Evelyn Sue Brummell Harris

Evelyn Sue Brummell Harris is in the care of Medina Funeral Home. A memorial service took place 5 p.m. Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at First United Methodist Church in Humboldt, Tenn.

Mrs. Harris, wife of late Charles Lee Harris, passed away December 2, 2017 in Jackson, Tenn. She was the only child of Samuel Ellis and Mattie Nichols Brummell, born November 14, 1923 in Union City, Tenn.

The family moved to Jackson in 1928 where she received her education in the city schools, graduating from Jackson High in 1942. She was also a graduate of West TN Business College. Her first job was with Proctor and Gamble at the Milan Arsenal, Milan, Tenn. during WWII. All her life she was active in civic and religious organizations in Jackson and Humboldt, as well as state and national organizations: PTA, Girl and Boy Scouts, Jaycettes (Jaycette of the Year 1954), Jackson Theater Guild, Humboldt Looking Glass, Jackson Community Concerts Association, Humboldt Music Club, Humboldt Women’s Club, 18 Book Club, Jackson Writers Group, Jackson Arts Association, co-founder of Humboldt Arts Association, founder of Humboldt Arts and Crafts Fair which lasted 12 years, charter member of TN Watercolor and Southern Watercolor Associations, nominated for TN Artist of the year 1968, on TN Arts Commission, member of National League of American Pen Women (Arts and Letters) Chickasaw Branch in Memphis, Tenn., Midwest TN, Fulton County, Ky., and Obion County, Tenn., Genealogical Societies, co-founder of Humboldt Strawberry Festival-Historical Museum, member of Clement-Scott Daughters of the American Revolution and Lee Davis Daughters of the Confederacy, and a member of Humboldt Eastern Star.

She was a member of First United Methodist Church, a choir member for 50 years, taught Sunday school to nine year olds and was church historian for many years.

Mrs. Harris was active with the Humboldt Strawberry Festival for years. When she was 16 years old, she was first maid to Miss Jackson and rode in the festival parade. Twice, she designed and put important facts about Humboldt in calendars for the museum as a money making project. In 1986 she designed and compiled her own cookbook, “Give ‘Em The Berries” with 200 strawberry recipes, the first of its kind. She also designed and compiled recipes of the church members in a cookbook “Tasty TN Treasures” in 1996. In collaboration with Ron Pyron and Hal Fisher compiled the book Humboldt Pictorial History for the 1996 Bicentennial.

She donated her artistic abilities to many organizations. One year she designed the catalogue cover for the Gibson County Fair. In 2001, Top of the Art Show dedicated the show at the West TN Regional Art Center to her. For several years she wrote articles for the Humboldt Courier Chronicle newspaper and was awarded a certificate of membership in the National Federation of Press Women, Inc.

One of her many interests was archeology. She went with her granddaughter to Coon Creek on a fossil dig. In 1980 she went to Illinois on an excavation with Northwestern University Archeological group sponsored by Union University, Jackson.

Her passion was art and she was an artists in the truest sense of the word. Her paintings in all mediums are in private and corporate collections. She had exhibited in solo and juried exhibitions and received numerous awards. She was honored to have exhibited at Brooks Museum in Memphis, and the Parthenon in Nashville.

One of her paintings was in the Governor’s mansion in Nashville. Sue is listed in World’s Who’s Who of Women, American Personalities of the South and Foremost Women of the 20th Century.

Mrs. Harris is survived by three children, Charles Cary “Chip” (Bettye) Harris of Dumas, Ark., Samuel Lee “Sammy” (Susan) Harris of Jackson and Robin Denise Harris of Humboldt; three grandchildren, Cary Lee (Heather Chelsea) Harris of Dumas, Evan Charles (Jessica) Harris of Little Rock, Ark., and Heather H. Harris Vinson of Hendersonville, Tenn.; great-granddaughter, Matilyn “Mati” Hays Harris; three great-grandsons, Jacob Harris, Sutton Harris and Logan Harris; and step-grandchildren, John Lynn (Jessie) Giddion, Zach Smith, Blake Smith, Emmy Smith, Madison Smith and Lexie Smith.

In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial to the charity of your choice.