REV. ROBERT HARRIS SR.

The Rev. Robert Harris Sr., 78, 628 S. Benton, died Wednesday, April 30, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

He was born Nov. 17, 1918, in Durant, Miss., son of Henry and Maggie Cook Harris. He and Bernice Crawford were married Aug. 1, 1953, in Elkhart, Ind.

Harris worked at Sikeston Cotton Oil Mill 14 years before entering the ministry. He was pastor of New Home Baptist Church at Oran from 1968-73, and pastor of St. Matthew's Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau from 1973 until retiring in 1978. He was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Robert Harris Jr. of Cape Girardeau, Henry Harris of Rockford, Ill.; five daughters, Barbara Thompson of Chicago, Brenda Wren and Birda Harris of Cape Girardeau, Debra Harris of Jackson, Carolyn Evans of Lilbourn; two stepsons, Lee Crawford of Sikeston, Ron Crawford of Memphis, Tenn.; and 25 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a brother.

Friends may call at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel from 4-8 p.m. Saturday.

Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Second Baptist Church, with the Rev. Wiley Reed officiating. Burial will be in Haywood Cemetery at Morley.