Jane Eliot Harrison

Jane Eliot Harrison peacefully entered into Glory on Saturday, April 30th, surrounded by family. Sooner born and Sooner bred, “The Jane” lived a life of epic proportions. Mother of four, grandmother of thirteen, and great-grandmother of seventeen, surrogate mother to neighborhoods, and sponsor to many, her legacy will impact generations.

Jane was born in Comanche, Oklahoma on August 14, 1924 to Dr. Charles Clement Pruitt and Wilma Kathryn Pruitt and was the youngest of seven children. She loved music and played the violin and the snare drum in the marching band in high school. She was both athletic and smart as a whip, earning valedictorian of her high school class. She fell in love with fashion design and started her career working and modeling for Kerr’s Department Store in Oklahoma City. Always dressed to the nines, Jane had style.

On February 17, 1948, she married John Dean Marks, with whom she had four children; Stephen Marks (wife Saber); Bliss Morris (husband John); Merrie Duncan (husband Rob); Susan Harris (Mike Milligan). Early in their marriage, Jane’s career escalated quickly as a fashion buyer for Woolf Brothers in Kansas City until she set her career aside to raise her children. Jane was active in the Kansas City social and philanthropic scene and raised millions for the Ozanam Home for Boys which was dear to her heart. In addition to being beautiful herself, Jane admired aesthetic beauty of all sorts including nature, interiors, fashion, art and music. An avid entertainer, she hosted friends and family in her beautiful homes that were a continuing hobby for her. She enjoyed a wide range of hobbies and activities including bible study, gardening (made the paper!), prayer groups, water skiing, golf, fishing (made the paper!), swimming, exercise and boating. She always said “we are from fine stock” so it’s no wonder she never looked her age.

In 1972, her beloved Johnny passed and Jane was faced with the daunting task of being a single mother. She went back to work at Woolf Brothers, managing retail operations in Kansas City and Dallas, Texas. She was both a loving mother and hardworking executive for 14 years. By both example and instruction, Jane instilled a very solid work ethic in her children. It was never a surprise if she woke you at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning with a grocery sack in hand to begin the day weeding the flower beds. With her children grown, she moved back to Oklahoma City to work for her friend Buddy Rodgers at Balliets. In 1984, she married John Devereux Harrison and retired to Naples, Florida. It was an active and joyful time of boating, golfing, playing bridge and living a life well-earned. Jane and John navigated the Intracoastal Waterway on their boat from Florida to Maine and enjoyed many (adventurous) trips to the Bahamas. She loved Colorado and they spent summers enjoying their home at the Kissing Camels Golf Club, the majestic mountains and many old and new friends.

A true matriarch, Jane had deep faith and unconditional love that she made sure to teach her children. The words “But God…” became the fundamental note in her life, always knowing that God had a plan no matter what challenges life offered. Of the many gifts she gave her family, her steadfast faith was the greatest of them all. Scripture tells us that we will be known by our fruit, and the harvest of Jane is bountiful.

We love you and will greatly miss you. There is a wonderful peace knowing you are with Jesus, Dad, and generations of family and friends.

Thank you, Kathy Carter, for being Mom’s dear friend and primary caregiver, loving and caring for her as if she were your own mother.

She is predeceased by all of her immediate family, both of her husbands and her grandson William Carson Harris and great granddaughter Georgiana Bliss Illingworth. Viewing will be held at Hahn-Cook on Sunday, May 8th, from 8am - 8pm with the family present from 6pm - 8pm. A memorial service will be held on Monday, May 9th, at 10:30 am at Britton Christian Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with interment to follow on Tuesday, May 10th at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.