Tag Archives: Henry Harless

Larry Templeton Harless Obituary

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Larry T. Harless, 68, Roanoke, passed away on Tuesday, February 2, 2016. He was a very loving husband, father and grandfather who never met a stranger. He was predeceased by his parents, Arnold and Beatrice Harless.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Harless, son, Timothy Harless (Angela), grandsons, Alex Harless, Andrew Harless; his brother Jackie Harless (Cheryl); his sisters, Gladys Wright (Kenny), Brenda Shockley (Kemp) and Glenda Harless. He is also survived by the two joys of his life Abigail Rose Bailey and Hannah Michelle Harless.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at Oakey’s North Chapel from 6 to 9 pm with funeral services on Friday, February 5, 2016 at noon from Oakey’s North Chapel with Rev. L. W. Carter officiating and interment to follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens.

Larry Templeton Harless

      • Born: 18 July 1947.
      • Died: 2 February 2016.
      • Parents: Arnold Huff Harless and Beatrice Bell Davis.
      • Spouse: Betty Dianne Bailey.
      • Known Children: Timothy Brian Harless.
      • Relationship to Johan Philip Harless: 5th great-grandson and 6th great-grandson.
  1. Johan Philip Harless.
  2. Philip Harless.
  3. Daniel Harless.
  4. Henry Harless.
  5. James Thomas Harless.
  6. Templeton Huff Harless and Stella Catherine Graves.
  7. Arnold Huff Harless.
  8. Larry Templeton Harless.
  1. Johan Philip Harless.
  2. Philip Harless.
  3. Daniel Harless.
  4. Henry Harless.
  5. Mahulda Catherine Harless and George William Graves.
  6. Joseph Willard Graves.
  7. Stella Catherine Graves and Templeton Huff Harless.
  8. Arnold Huff Harless.
  9. Larry Templeton Harless.

Clarence Eugene Harless Obituary

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Gene had been fighting a decade long battle with Alzheimer’s disease which finally came to an end November 14th at 12:13 am. He passed in to Heaven quietly in bed with his loving wife Henrietta by his side.

Clarence Eugene (Gene) Harless was the fourth of five children and was born in Arizona in 1928. His parents Robert and Agnes Harless were farmers who moved to Wasco about the time Gene was in Jr. High School. Gene started high school in Wasco but his family moved to Shafter during his freshman year.

Gene was a talented football, basketball, and track athlete and he also loved to box. Gene held records as a high hurdler which he was very proud of. Gene graduated from Shafter High in 1946. Gene was inducted into the Shafter High School Athletic Hall of fame on the day he passed. When he was told of his award before his death he smiled and his chest swelled with pride.

After High School he worked as a farmer with his dad and also laid linoleum. In 1953 he became a firefighter for the Bakersfield City Fire Department. Over the course of a 30 year long career, Gene moved through the ranks and retired as the Assistant Chief in 1983. After he retired he operated his company, Tiger Hose Towers where he built and sold Hose Towers to fire departments across the country.

Spending time with the family was his favorite thing to do. His great sense of humor, his hard work ethic, and his loving heart made him a man that you had to love and respect. Gene loved hunting, camping, and recreational shooting and loved taking his family along to do all of these activities. He is proceeded into Heaven by his parents, Jessie and Agnes Harless, brothers, Lloyd and Clyde, sisters, Alene and Nadene and his sons, Greg and Larry Harless.

He is survived by his loving wife of 67 years Henrietta, His daughter & son in law Jennifer & Ron Porter, daughters-in-law; Gail Harless and Shawna Harless Bobillot, Virginia Arenas. Grandchildren: Eric & Mindi, Ryan & Melissa, Nick, Hillarie & Shane, LeighAnn & Chuck, Travis & Teri, Mark & Krista, Brandon & Ihoreni, and Amber. Great-Grandchildren: Bretta, Emily, Sophia, Zaina, Sarah, Adam, Willow, Acacia, Anthony, Violet, Talia, Preston, Shalyn, Ray, Sam, Faith, Grace, Hope, Brandon, Mason, and Preston

Our family would like to especially thank his favorite nurse Linda Farmer, the precious staff at Deans Care Villa and Rob Harding from Kern River Family Mortuary.

Services will be held at Valley Baptist Church 4800 Fruitvale Ave, Bakersfield, Ca 93308 at 10 A.M. on Wednesday, November 18, 2015.

Published in Bakersfield Californian on Nov. 17, 2015

Freda Ann Cook Harless

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  • Relationship to Johan Philip Harless: .
  1. Johan Philip Harless.
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Heirs of Joel Tillman Harless, Madison Co., Alabama

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On 8 September 1847, Joel Tillman Harless, along with his wife, Sarah, sold 80 acres of land in two parcels to Benjamin R. Harris and his wife, Caroline. Unfortunately for Benjamin, the deed was written incorrectly and he needed to have it corrected. I do not know when he first noticed the error, but by the time he got around to getting it put right, Joel T. Harless had died. Benjamin’s misfortune is our good fortune, because now he had to bring suit against the heirs of Joel T. Harless and his own children (as the error in the deed had made the property over to them).

On 6 November 1854, Benjamin R. Harris and his wife, Caroline A. E. Harris (nee Vann), brought a bill of complaint against: Thomas Harless, John W. Harless, Charles Harless, Tib Allison, and his wife, Matilda, formerly Matilda Harless, Thomas Harris, Martha S. Harris, Nancy Harris, and Rosaline Harris [the 4 children of Benjamin and Caroline], of the county of Madison, State of Alabama, Andrew J. Middleton and his wife Rebecca, formerly Rebecca Harless, of the county of Jackson in said state, Sarah S. Harless of the county of Marshall in said state, and David Harless of the county of Marengo in said state.

The complaint goes on to explain how the errors with the deed came about and why it has not been corrected:

“…since the making of the conveyance, the said Joel T. Harless has departed this life, intestate, leaving the following named persons, his heirs at law, viz: Thomas Harless, David Harless, John W. Harless, Charles Harless, Matilda Allison formerly Harless, Rebecca Middleton, formerly Harless. The said Matilda has intermarried with and is now the wife of one Tib Allison, and the said Rebecca has intermarried with and is now the wife of one Andrew J. Middleton. The said Joel T., also left surviving him, a widow, one Sarah T. Harless.”

heirs of Joel Tillman Harless

The heirs at law listed for Joel Tillman Harless are his siblings and, as mentioned, his widow. In my records, I have that Sarah gave birth to a posthumous daughter of Joel and remarried a year or so later. BUT a posthumous child would have been entitled, under common law and the laws of Alabama, to a share of the estate (if they lived) and would have would have disinherited the siblings of Joel Tillman Harless. Eldrid Harless is listed in the 1850 Census in the household of Sarah and her second husband, Willis Kirkland, showing that if he was the son of Joel he had indeed survived and would be the lawful heir. Unfortunately for us there is nothing in this chancery case to show whether or not Benjamin R. Harris was mistaken in his listing of heirs.

Joel Tillman Harless

Born: before 1818.
Died: before 14 August 1851.
Parents: John Harless and Catherine Moser.
Spouse: Sarah Skelton.
Known Children: Milly Ann Harless.
Relationship to Johan Philip Harless: great-grandson.

  1. Johan Philip Harless.
  2. Henry Harless.
  3. John Harless.
  4. Joel Tillman Harless.

Live By The Sword… or gun

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The newspaper headline was tantalizing – “Twists of Fate. Man Slew Ex-husband First Wife; Slain Himself” and the article didn’t disappoint, but it left me confused.

Birmingham, Ala. Jan. 21. (UP) –

The first time Charlie C. Graham, 45, married a divorcee, he killed her former husband.

He went to prison on a life sentence, but was paroled and married another divorcee.

Friday night the second husband killed Graham.

Eleven years ago Graham walked up to the automobile in which Glenn Harless was seated and shot Harless after an argument.

Friday night Graham walked up to the automobile where J.B. Rylant, 45, was seated, got into an argument, and Rylant killed him. They had been friends since boyhood.

Coroner __ M. Evans reconstructed the shooting today, and ordered Rylant held under $2,500 bond in a murder charge.

I was unsure who had married whom and when. All I really knew was that Charlie seemed to argue a lot and he was killed in circumstances very similar to those in which he had killed Glenn Harless. This is what I found out.

The murdered Glenn Harless was, in fact, Glen George Harless, son of Benjamin Franklin Harless and Sarah Fannie Leonard. Glen was born in Calera, Shelby County, Alabama on 28 November 1890. On 13 June 1915, he married Cory May Smith, it would prove to be his undoing. The marriage lasted until at least 1920, but on 31 May 1928, Cora married Charles Crisp Graham in Blount County, Alabama. Her name is given in the record as “Miss” Cora May Harliss, but the newspaper article calls her a divorcee. I wonder if Charles was aware of this prior to the marriage, but he certainly knew it afterwards. Just five months after the marriage, Charles Crisp Graham shot and killed Glenn George Harless. Charles was sentenced to a life term and he can be found in the 1930 Census in Kilby Prison. I do not know when he was released.

In 1934 Cora and Charles were divorced and on 23 December 1938 Charles married Bessie L. Haley in Anniston, Calhoun County, Alabama. Bessie had been married twice previously. Her latest marriage, to J. B. Rylant had ended in divorce in 1938.

On 20 January 1939, Rylant killed Charles Crisp Graham in Birmingham, Alabama.

I do not know what happened to Cora or Bessie, or even Rylant, but Glen George Harless did not appear to have had any children with Cora.

Glen George Harless

Born: 28 November 1890.
Died: 24 October 1928.
Parents: Benjamin Franklin Harless and Sarah Fannie Leonard.
Spouse: Cora May Smith.
Known Children: none known.
Relationship to Johan Philip Harless: 3rd great-grandson.

  1. Johan Philip Harless.
  2. Henry Harless.
  3. Henry Harless, Jr.
  4. George Richard Crowson Harless.
  5. Benjamin Franklin Harless.
  6. Glen George Harless.

Sporting Saturday – Taught Notre Dame How to Play

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William Warren Harless
University of Michigan

William Warren Harless

William Warren Harless was a natural athlete and handsome with it. Born on 9 March 1867 in Chigago, Illinois to Thomas Henry and Barbara Ann King Harless, he was the youngest of 8 children (2 older half-siblings had died as children almost 20 years before William was born). William Warren was only 3 years old when his father died, but his mother was well provided for and was able to raise her children by herself until she chose to remarry when William was 11 years old.

William Warren Harless began his higher education at Notre Dame but transferred to the University of Michigan because Notre Dame did not play football.

For the 1886 season William was a substitute player, but was a rusher for the 1887 season and was invited, with his teammate, George Dehaven, back to Notre Dame for a training session to teach the Fighting Irish this new game. Perhaps William was a better player than a teacher, but when Notre Dame played their first ever game, against Michigan, they were defeated 8-0 and it would be 32 years before the Fighting Irish would achieve victory over the Wolverines.

William played football as a center, a rusher and a guard, but this was not the only sport he participated in. In 1887, he came first in putting shot (29′ 3″), and the hammer throw (56′ 10 7/8″), but was defeated by W. C. Malley in heavy weight wrestling. It was noted that both the hammer and the shot were overweight and that otherwise the distances might have been greater. The prizes were of interest too, a set of George Elliot’s works for the hammer throw and Paradise Lost for the hammer throw.

After university William Warren Harless became a civil engineer and married Mary Jane Lennon in 1896. William and Mary had no children, and when the Spanish-American war broke out, William joined the US Army as a quartermaster in the 7th Illinois Infantry.

Following his stint in the army, William became the manager of an insurance company, but his love of sports had obviously not left him, as he served as the Secretary of the West Golf Association for a number of terms.

William Warren Harless

Born: 9 March 1867.
Died: 10 July 1923.
Parents: Thomas Henry Harless and Barbara Ann King.
Spouse: Mary Jane Lennon.
Known Children: none known.
Relationship to Johan Philip Harless: 2nd great-grandson.

  1. Johan Philip Harless.
  2. Henry Harless.
  3. George Harless.
  4. Thomas Henry Harless.
  5. William Warren Harless.