Dolores Mae Barton Harris

Dolores Mae Barton Harris, 89, of Nederland passed away peacefully Sunday, July 11, 2021, with her husband and two children by her side at her daughter's house in Huntsville, Texas. She was born in Bagnall, Missouri on December 25, 1931to Francis "Frank" Barton and Dorothy Dameron Barton. She grew up with her two brothers here in Southeast Texas. She lived in Nederland for over 46 years.
She met her husband of over 73 years at church when she was about 12 years. A few years later, while walking up the Rainbow Bridge, their love caught fire when they kissed. They married a few years later and as they say, "The rest is history."
At about age 14 she became a Christian and served God all her life. She was a member of the Church of the Nazarene and served in the church as a children's Sunday School teacher for more than fifty years and was known for her puppeteering in children's church. She shared her faith and often led her neighbor ladies to Christ. She was a prayer warrior who had the gift of prophecy where God would tell her about an event that was about to happen and she interceded until she was assured God would act. The church also benefitted from one of her passions, floral arrangements where she provided flowers each Sunday for years.
Dolores was a lady who loved animals. She had an open flight aviary that housed many different species. Her love of birds included rescuing the neighborhood orphans and raising them until they were ready to fly away. She even had a peacock, Pretty Boy, that used to follow her around the yard showing off his plume. She had aquariums with many different types of tropical fish and even a pond with fountains and goldfish (Thank you Chris).
She loved flowers. For years she had beautiful flower beds and one time had more than one hundred different species of flowers in her yard in Nederland. She had a gift for floral arrangements. She even had an entrepreneurial bent, combining her talent for flower arrangement and love of animals into a business, Harris Floral and Pets, where she was the florist for weddings, homecoming corsages and floral arrangements and the breeder of poodles that she sold.
But what characterized Dolores the most was her love of people. She never knew a stranger. She mothered everyone and almost all who knew her used the word, "LOVE," to describe her. She was tender hearted empathizing with everyone often listening to them for hours at a time. She showered her children and grandchildren with love and was deeply loved by each of them.
This beautiful and amazing wife, mother, lover of God and friend is survived by her husband of 73 years, Max Harris Jr of Nederland, Texas, daughter Faith Harris Rushton and Wayne of Huntsville, Texas, sons, Max Harris III and Wife Sarah of Boynton Beach, Florida and Randy W. Harris and wife Cindy of Lexington, Texas, grandchildren Shane Harris, Rachelle Harris Acheson, Peirs Anderson, Ian Anderson, Blane Mowry, Shae Mowry, Nathan Mowry, Emily Mowry Moreno, Autumn Mowry, Noah Mowry, 7 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Fahra Harris Mowry and brothers, Tommy Barton and Bob Barton.
A visitation for family and friends will begin at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, July 17, 2021 at Levingston Funeral Home in Groves. Funeral services will follow at 2:00 p.m. with Mr. Max Harris, III officiating. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Park.