Evelyn Anna Harris

Evelyn Anna Russman Harris, born February 5, 1929, went to heaven in the early morning hours of July 30, 2022. Services will be held Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 10 am at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Homer, NE. Interment will follow at Omaha Valley Cemetery of rural Homer. A luncheon will follow the graveside prayers at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall.  Mohr & Becker-Hunt Funeral Home has assisted the family with arrangements.  Online condolences may be offered at www.meyerbroschapels.com

An amazing, quiet, godly wife, mom, grammy, great grammy, aunt, cousin and friend to many, she was the quintessential social butterfly, who loved to dance and listen to polka music, especially if it was being played by her brothers Harlan and Leroy on the accordion and concertina. She loved her family fiercely and was happiest when her large brood surrounded her. She loved her cats and dogs (and they loved her), as well as anything turquoise. Evelyn and Clayton were long time members of St. Paul’s Lutheran church, where she taught Sunday school for many years. She was also a longtime member of the ladies Legion Auxiliary in Homer.

She was born to Ernest and Edna Russman at a rural farmhouse in Bancroft NE, attended by midwife Grandma Anna Russman and Grandpa John.

She met Clayton James Harris on a dance floor in Pender after WWII and they married shortly after on June 22, 1947 at the Presbyterian Church in Bancroft, NE.

Clayton and Evelyn lived in a small house adjacent to the main house of Burhoop’s Cattle Feeders on a hilltop near Evelyn’s birthplace. While Dad worked in the feedlot, Mom taught in a one room schoolhouse near her birthplace. Soon afterwards they moved to Mapleton, IA, where they worked for a local farmer.

Eventually, they moved to Homer to start a home located a few miles northeast of Homer near Homer Lake and were sharecrop farmers with a local landowner. After a tornado disaster in the middle of the night in 1967, they purchased their current farm two miles outside of Homer and made it home for the rest of their lives. Clayton preceded Evelyn in death on April 12, 1996.

Evelyn and Clayton had (1) daughter and (8) sons, Yvonne Lynn (deceased), Alan James, David Lloyd, Ricky John (Carol), Gregory Ernest (Nancy), Brent Clayton (Susie), Bradley Scott (Brenda), Rodney Jay (JoAnne) and Kirk Gerard.

She has numerous grandkids: Alan Jr. “Buck” (deceased), Jonathan, Joshua, Heidi, Jessica, Matthew (deceased), Shawn, Melissa, Jennifer, Clarissa, Laura, Christopher, Justin, Meagan, Alexander, Charlie and Hannah, as well as many great grandkids.

Evelyn was the last surviving sibling of brothers Leroy (Lydabel and Denise) Russman, John (Betty) Russman, Harlan (Carol) Russman, and Dwain Russman.