Willie Mae Harris

Willie Mae was born October 10, 1925 in Blytheville, Arkansas to Fannie Mae and Willie Davis. She was the sixth of 10 children. The family moved regularly, and she attended elementary school in Sikeston and New Madrid, Missouri. Later she went to live with her aunt in St. Louis to attend Vashon High School.

Willie Mae was married three times, all husbands preceding her in death. Her first husband was Mr. Leroy Beasley. They moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and that would become her home. To this union, no children were born. Her second marriage to Mr. Tommy A. Allison, the couple had one daughter, Tommie Jo Allison. She married her soul-mate Mr. Londell Harris, April 15, 1967. To this union, the couple had one son, Amour V. Harris; they remained together until Londell’s passing in 1982.

During the 1950’s through the 1960’s era, Willie Mae worked as a line worker for Kansas City Cold Storage until the plant closed. There she learned bookkeeping and became the treasurer of their local union, taking a stand for the rights and equality for all laborers. Later, while married to Londell, they started their own business, L&H Maintenance.

Willie Mae loved interior decorating, baking, working in her yard, especially her roses, and traveling. She traveled to visit family in friends in Miami during winter months and decided to relocate there. She lived in Miami for many years, and then relocated to Sacramento, later Wichita and return again to Kansas City. Whenever she would take a notion to visit friends and family, she would pack her bags and get on a plane. In 1996 she traveled to Israel for two weeks.

As the years took a toll on her health, Willie Mae slowed her pace. On October 10, she reached her 91st birthday. Her sunset came October 31, 2016, just three weeks after her birthday. She had a richly fulfilled life. She is the last of her family. Both parents, all of her siblings, and her grandson, JaQuan Amour Harris have preceded her in death.

She leaves to mourn her passing, her two children, three grandsons, Amiri C. Hornsby, Walter Rhodes, III, and Andre R. Rhodes, three great granddaughters, Allyson E. Hornsby, Jordan and Winter Rhodes, and host of nieces and nephews to remember Aunt Cokie.

Visitation will be from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Sunday, November 6, at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, November 7 at the funeral home followed by burial in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.

Arrangements under the direction of Mt Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, Kansas City, MO.