Mary Ann Deschamps Harris, 20 January 1904

Mary Ann Deschamps Harris, 98, achieved her desire to go home on October 30, 2002.

Mary was born in St. John, ID on January 20, 1904 to David Stephens Deschamps and Mary Blanche Davis, the first daughter and third child in a family of nine children. She learned early the value of work and helping others. She attended schools in St. John, Malad and Pocatello, graduating from high school a year early. She also attended Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, UT.

She married Morgan Wilford Harris on November 23, 1923 in the Salt lake City Temple. They settled in Woodruff, ten miles south of Malad, where she spent the rest of her life. Raising a family during the Depression, Mary learned to follow the old pioneer adage, “Fix it up, wear it out, use it up, or do without.” Nothing ever got thrown out. If it had a hole, it got patched. If it was too small, it got passed down. If it were past patching, then it was cut up for other patches or used to make quilts.

Mary loved sewing, quilting, playing the piano, cooking and making bread. Whenever you came to visit or sat at her table, the food was always hot and delicious, and there was lots of it. You never left her house without first being fed. There was always hot bread, jam, scones (dough gods), pies and chicken noodle soup.

There was always time to help Morgan or any of the children or grandchildren. She lived her life to serve others. She was active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held many leadership and teaching positions. She always taught by example, and was always first in line to lead the way, never sending her children to do it alone. She always had a great love for little children, often playing with them by the hour. In her later years she traveled from the East Coast to the West, and to Alaska to visit her family. They were the jewels in her crown.

She is survived by her children; Mary Larue (Dean) Briggs, Anandale, VA; helen Blanche (Jay) Green, Long=don, England; Morgan Deschamps (Ann) Harris, las Vegas, NV; David Robert (Sharon) Harris, Malad, ID; 17 grandchildren; 49 great grandchildren; two sisters, Shelba Dredge, Malad, ID and Blanche (George) Weston, Concord, CA; and two brothers, Ray Deschamps, Boise, ID and Dave Deschamps, Malad, ID.

She was preceded in death by her husband; two daughters, Shelba Ann (Reed) Blaisdell, Eunice Delene (Bill) Parry; one son in law, Glenn (Helen) Tanner; three great grandchildren; two brothers, Louis Deschamps and parley Deschamps; and two baby brothers died in infancy.

Funeral services were held November 2, 2002 in the Malad Second/Fifth Ward Chapel. Burial was in the Portage, UT Cemetery.