Mary Jane Murphey Harmon

Mary Jane was born in Dallas, Texas, on the 26th of March 1926, to Dr. Phelps J. Murphey and Samuel Newcom Murphey. She attended the Hockaday School and Wellesley College before graduating from Southern Methodist University.

Mary Jane married Frank G. Harmon in 1945 and they settled in Houston, which was her home for the rest of her life, and where she raised her four children, Francis Gilmer Harmon, III, Mary Jane (Suzie) Harmon, Phelps John Murphey Harmon, and William Thomas Harmon, all of whom survive her.

Mary Jane was a loving and devoted wife and mother, but found time to indulge her other passions in life. She loved acting and the theatre. In the early days of the County Playhouse, she had several lead roles, including a boffo performance in the Reluctant Debutante. In later years, she entertained and educated thousands of school children with her one-woman performance as Mary Ball Washington, George Washington’s mother.

She also loved genealogy and family history, which led her to many happy years as an active member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She loved the Daughters of the Republic of Texas log cabin, which she dubbed “Phoebe’s Cabin”, a name that has apparently stuck. But the greatest love of her life, besides her family, was Bayou Bend. Enrolling in one of the earliest docent classes, and taking her first tour with Miss Ima, Mary Jane was a docent for more than 30 years. She found lifelong friendships, took many trips with her docent friends, and never, ever, missed a Yuletide. Her most prized possessions were her Bayou Bend butterflies.

In addition to her children, Mary Jane is survived by her beloved sister, Patricia Murphey “Patsy” Whitman of Stamford, Connecticut; by her “Connecticut Nephews”, Bruce Nairn Whitman, Jr., Steward Lane Whitman, and John Newcom Whitman, and their families. She is also survived by eleven grandchildren; and by six great-grandchildren.

The memorial service celebrating Mary Jane’s life is be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 7th of July, in the Chapel of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Road in Houston. Immediately following the service, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the Hines Baker Room.

In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions in Mary Jane’s honor may be directed to the Bayou Bend Gardens, P.O. Box 6826, Houston, TX, 77265; or to the charity of one’s choice.