San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MRS. EMILY M. HARRIS
An esteemed lady long a resident in
Stockton, whose accomplishments in the management of her estate have entitled
her to the confidence and esteem of her fellow-citizens, is Mrs. Emily M.
Harris, now living at 111 North Tuxedo Street.
As Emily M. Dees, she was the popular daughter of Daniel R. Dees, an
overseer of Arkansas plantations, having been born in Sebastian County, on
Saint Valentine’s Day, 1852; her mother was Lucy Allison before her marriage.
In 1857 Daniel Dees crossed the
Great Plains bound for California, and after arriving, he settled for awhile at
Petaluma, where he bought a ranch, a part of an old Spanish grant, and looked
forward to making his home there; but when the grant-holders contested the
title, he lost all he had invested. He
then migrated from place to place for awhile, and finally settled in Carson
City, Nevada, where he became a mine superintendent. He passed away there.
Partly as a result of these migrations,
Emily Dees went to school in various places; and if she fared none too well
because of such changes in her schools and programs, she at least came to know
a good number and an interesting variety of teachers. There were nine children besides herself in
her parents’ family, but only four are living today. Allison D. and Joel D. are in Nevada; Lewis
is in Los Angeles; and Emily, or Mrs. Harris, is the subject of our interesting
story.
On May 6, 1867, Emily was married at
Marysville to Edward Harris, who had been born in Indiana on September 15,
1841. His parents were John and Lucinda
Harris, and their forebears may be traced back through the pioneer days of the
Hoosier State to good old Revolutionary stock.
As a young man, in 1859 Edward Harris made the journey overland across
the plains, remaining only until the breaking out of the Civil War, when being
patriotic to the core, he returned east by the Pony Express, and on his arrival
at his old home he enlisted in Company D., 5th Indiana Volunteer
Cavalry, serving throughout the war in General Sherman’s cavalry in the Georgia
campaign and on the march to the sea. He
was captured and as a prisoner was sent to Andersonville. After the great struggle was over, he
returned to California and set up his household goods for two years on the old Messick Rancho near Marysville. He and his good wife then removed to
Stockton, and he farmed for many years in the Delta lands, Roberts Island,
carrying on his operations of grain raising extensively. On March 9, 1917, he passed away, an honored
member of Rawlins Post of the Grand Army of the Republic.
For the last thirty-seven years,
Mrs. Harris has made her home in Stockton, and five children have added to her
earthly pleasures. Jean has become Mrs.
James Gianelli; Lucy is a teacher; William is of
Clements; Edward F. is of Stockton; and Gay is Mrs. Youdall,
of the same city. There are now nine
grandchildren. Mrs. Gianelli
is the mother of Norma and Jack; William’s daughter is named Emily Martha;
Lowell and Jean are the two children of Edward F. Harris; and Gay Youdall’s four children are named Leonard Harris, Harris
Hugh, Edward Dees and Peter Gaylen.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1531-1532. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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