Helen Ramona Nowell Harris

SERVICES:  MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 201411:00 A. M.MCCLAIN-HAYS CHAPELVISITATION:  SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014 5:00 - 8:00 P. M.INTERMENT:  MARS HILL CEMETERYWINSTON COUNTY, MSOFFICIATING:  REV. FRANK SMITHHelen Ramona Nowell Harris was born November 6, 1943 to Herman and Sybil Nowell of the Mars Hill community of Winston County. She grew up in the Arlington community of Neshoba County, until the age of 16, when her family moved to New Orleans. John and Helen met in the summer of 1961, in Delavan Illinois, a small town of 1200.  Helen’s older sister, Christine Pettie, had just given birth to Lisa Pettie, and Helen and her sister, Hilda, came up from Louisiana for two weeks to help with the house. Sunday was Youth Sunday at the Delavan Baptist Church where Christine was a member.  All high school teens took part.  Standing in the receiving line after church, John and Helen first met. They dated for a week until time for her to return home and complete her senior year of school; and John left for his freshman year of college. John told her to write and write she did, every day for nine months.  Her letters plus John calling led to a great love that grew each day. After graduation, she moved back to Illinois and lived with her sister, Christine.  John and Helen got engaged and one year later were married on June 29, 1963.  Helen, a Christian, was active in church, being a Sunday School teacher, vacation bible school helper, choir member and youth sponsor with John.  Their home was open to feed and house visiting speakers.  Helen had a beautiful voice and she and John sang in a gospel quartet. Helen was very proud of her two sons, Tim and Tony, and was active in all their school functions and sporting events.  She attended every sports game and cheered on her boys.  Then came the grandchildren: Jered, Channing, Zachary and Kaelen.  She was very proud of them too.—perhaps even more so.  Every birthday was a special occasion.  She made sure it was filled with love, happiness and of course, many presents.  Great-grandson, Mason, was her delight. In addition to her immediate family, she was mom and mamaw to many friends.  Everyone who knew her became a special friend and loved one. Married to her true love, John and Helen celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in style, sharing their wedding celebration with many family and friends. Helen was a great cook and passed her talents on to her family.  Unable to cook her last few years, she took great joy in watching family members take over the cooking duties, using her recipes and advice. As a Christian, Helen loved the Lord and is now in his presence.  She now is enjoying peace and security that he has made for her.  She wants her passing to be a time of joy and not sorrow. She leaves behind her husband, John Harris; sons, Tim Harris (Robin Harris)and Tony Harris; her grandchildren, Jered Harris, Channing Harris, Zachary Harris and Kaelen Harris; her great-grandson, Mason Harris; her brothers, Jack Nowell (Waudine), Mitch Nowell (Lydia) and Vincent Nowell; sisters, Imogene Blount, Faye Myers (Dean) and her twin sister, Hilda Carver (Sam) and an abundance of nieces, nephews and many related members. She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Sybil Nowell; her sisters, Emma Lou Myers and Christine Pettie.Pallbearers were Andrew Carver, Jered Harris, Channing Harris, Zachary Harris, Jeremiah Gillett and Byron Nowell.