The Harris’s were the matriarchical Great-great-grandparents of Denny Williams.

John and Mary Harris had eight children, including Emma Catherine Harris, mother of Sylvia Edith Lacey, who married Charles W. Barber, son of John K. Barber, 19 February 1899.¹   John and Mary’s son Ira Jasper Harris (“Uncle Jap,” as he was known and loved by his Barber nieces and nephews) also married into the same John K. Barber family, having wed Charles’ sister Arabelle Maze Barber (“Aunt Belle”), 21 February 1888.  And John and Mary’s son Calvin J. Harris became a very successful farmer in Shelby County, Iowa, assuming operation of the family farm from his father.

From these facts, we surmise that the Harris family, the Barber family, and the Lacey family probably were close neighbors and friends on farms just outside (probably East of) Kirkman, Iowa, and that they may have often visited back and forth in the late 1800’s in Shelby County.  The biography² quoted below also provides interesting insight into life in the Kirkman area.

John C. Harris, the patriarch, was born in Ohio on 22 Feb 1827, and died 14 Jan 1891 according to family records, or 1892 according to the biographical account: 

“John C. Harris was born in Ohio, reared on a farm in that state, educated in the common schools and upon his marriage removed to Indiana, where he farmed for several years.  He lived in Indiana for about ten years, and in 1860 went to Kansas, where he followed agricultural pursuits for five years.  He then settled in Douglas township, in Shelby county, Iowa, where he bought the farm on

which his son, Calvin J., is now living.  John C. Harris died January 14, 1892, his wife dying February 1, 1882.  To John C. Harris and wife were born eight children:  Alice, who died in infancy; James W., who died at the age of seven; David J., who married Olive Mitchell and has five (sic) children, Ray, Earl, Jennings, Howard, Bertram, and Vivian; Catherine, who married W.A. Lacy (sic) and has four children, Wayne, Sylvia, Austin and Elmer; Ira J., who married Arabella Barber and has four children, Esther, Pearl, Ralph Vance and Mary J.; Calvin J., with whom (the narrative below) deals; Carrie, who married William Sunderland and has three children, Maud, Bernice and Vince H.; Helen S., who died at the age of nine.  John C. Harris was a member of the Christian church and his wife was an adherent of the Dunkard denomination.”

Mary Wyland was born 4 April 1834, the fifth child of Jonathan Wyland and his second wife, Elizabeth Van Arsdale.  We infer that Mary grew up in Ohio, for at the age of 16, she married John C. Harris of Ohio and …”upon (their) marriage removed to Indiana…” 

In 1860, according to the biographical account, John C. Harris and Mary moved again, this time from Indiana to Coffey county, Kansas.  No details exist about this migration, but it must have been something for this middle-aged couple and their two living children (David J. and Emma Catherine) to trek out to the prairies, even as Civil War clouds were darkening.  And Kansas in those days was very much the Wild, Wild West;  life had to have been hard.  So it may have been that they knew relatives who had settled in Shelby County, Iowa, for in 1865 they “removed” back there to what was perhaps better farmland and growing conditions in Iowa.  Probably we’ll never know the real story.  Two more children were born in Kansas and so the move back to Shelby County now included four small children, including David J., Emma C., Ira Jasper and Calvin J. 

(Memo to selves:  let’s research events in Kansas in the early 1860’s.)