Mrs. Lottie Mae Harris

HARRIS, Mrs. Lottie Mae - Age 93, passed away Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Majestic Care, Flushing, MI. Family hour 11:00 AM Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at Fairhaven Seventh-Day Adventist Church, G-1379 W. Louis Ave., with funeral service commencing at 12:00 PM. Pastor Steve Bramwell, Eulogist, Eld. Dexter Clarke, officiating. Family and friends will assemble at the church 12:00 PM Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Mrs. Harris will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., and may be viewed Monday, March 17, 2025 from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Lottie Mae Jones was born in Flint, MI, on October 27, 1931, the eighth of nine children of Eli and Helen (Dixon) Jones. That gave her an opportunity to immerse herself in her family, something that would be a passion her entire life. She also said in an oral history that the Christian education she received through eighth grade in a one-room classroom at Flint #2 church school built a foundation that helped her learn values and create lifetime relationships. That foundation would sustain her throughout what are often turbulent teenage years. One of her most treasured possessions was the “Certificate of Baptism” she received on March 27, 1948, at the age of 16. After graduating from Mt. Morris High School, she attended Oakwood College (now University). There she grew to know Leland Barrett Mitchell, whom she married on June 14, 1953. As the wife of Pastor Mitchell, Lottie joined in ministering to churches throughout the midwestern United States. Leland next accepted a position as president of the Seventh-Day Adventist mission in Liberia, West Africa, in 1959. The couple served throughout the country and even met with the President and First Lady of Liberia. One young boy who was part of the mission to Liberia grew up to become a successful physician. He is now retired in the United States: Dr. Alphonso Findley (Pamela). He and Lottie remained in touch up until her death. There was another young Liberian boy who became a personal blessing to Lottie and Leland. They adopted Leon Barrett Mitchell less than 2 months after he was born. After leaving Liberia, the small family relocated to Chicago, IL, where Lottie joined her older sisters. Unfortunately, Leland passed away in February of 1965. After Leland’s death, Lottie returned to Flint with Leon where she rejoined her parents and the church where she grew up. She completed her degree at Andrews University and started teaching in the Flint Public Schools system. In addition, Edgar Harris, a new church member, came into her life. They were married on November 22, 1972. Now that she was settled back in Flint, Lottie did not work with young people that were only in the Flint school system, and she did not limit her interactions to her immediate family. Her love, devotion, and service extended to the members of Fairhaven Seventh-Day Adventist church. “Whether you’re grafted in or grown in, you’re part of the Jones’ Family Tree,” she once wrote. Lottie served at times as the adult choir director and was always a choir member. She left long-lasting memories on the children in her Sabbath School classes. But she really enjoyed being an Adult Sabbath School teacher and superintendent. She worked with the church on financial matters, serving as an assistant treasurer. She worked on spiritual matters by serving as one of the first female elders. And she worked with the church at its most precious level, serving as the chairman of the church's school. Lottie’s service to the church extended to the churches of Lake Region Conference. She served on conference committees committed to advancing its mission. She enthusiastically attended the conference’s annual camp meeting, located in Cassopolis, MI. Lottie’s commitment to Christian education meant Leon attended the same church school she had, graduated from Pine Forge Academy, and also studied at Oakwood College. Her two grandsons also received Christian educations. Lottie loved studying history, beginning with the Jones family and continuing with the history of Fairhaven. She was gifted both with long life and the ability to retain facts over the decades. During family visits to Washington, DC, she would spend hours at the National Archives. Lottie’s research brought her siblings closer to their mother’s family. She also witnessed family and church history unfold in front of her when “Cousins Camp” began. The little children she, her siblings, and other church members had raised were now adults living in different parts of the country. They decided to bring their children back one week each summer to attend Vacation Bible School, pick berries, and enjoy other activities. That way they could get a taste of what their parents experienced living in Michigan most of the time. Lottie used these opportunities to learn about each person. Her calm voice and friendly manner made people feel comfortable talking with her. She listened, and she remembered what she heard. That meant she could serve as a mentor to young people and a counselor to all ages. This gift for understanding people did not take away from her competitive spirit, however. She incorporated her love of knowledge and the information she gathered through the travel she enjoyed throughout her life into advanced skills for use in her favorite game, Scrabble. Lottie loved knowing about people. There is a scriptural reason why; A friend loves at all times. A sister (by blood or in Christ), a mother and a grandmother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17. Lottie was preceded in death by both husbands, Pastor Leland Mitchell and Edgar Harris; parents Eli and Helen Jones, and siblings, Pauline Taylor, Alec Jones, Helen Friend, Gwendolyn Smith, Ruby Jones, Sylvester Jones, and Vera Miller; stepson Edgar Harris, Jr. Lottie Mae Harris leaves to continue her legacy her son, Leon Barrett Mitchell (Angie), grandsons, Jaleel Norris and Leland Mitchell; granddaughters, Nanyah and Niyah Mitchell; sister Esther Mattox; and a host of loving nieces and nephews, spanning several generations.

Mrs. Lottie Mae Harris

October 27, 1931 - March 8, 2025