Ralph W. Harris was born November 20, 1904 in Creal Springs to Willis T. and Emma (Schafer) Harris.
The 1910 census revealed that Ralph’s family was living in Marion at 201 S. Market Street. Ralph’s father, Willis, was managing a livery stable. Ralph was 5 and shared space with six siblings. His older sister, Minnie L. Harris, was a public school teacher. The census indicated that Ralph’s mother had given birth to ten children and that eight of them were still living.
City directories indicated that the family in the late 1920’s lived at 403 W. College Street. Ralph’s father, Willis T. Harris, served as Marion Postmaster from 1922 to 1931. In the 1928 city directory, Ralph was listed as working as a storage man for the C.I.P.S. ice plant, likely a side job while attending school.
He attended school in the Marion School system and graduated from high school in East St Louis.
Ralph was admitted to the bar in Indiana on December 1, 1932 and in Illinois on December 14th, 1933 after attending the University of Illinois, Sangamon College in Springfield, the University of Illinois in Chicago, and graduating from Lincoln College of Law in Springfield. Before entering law school, he worked for the late Harry W. Bracy.
He was married to the former Edna C. Huffmaster on October 30, 1933 in Springfield, Illinois.
In 1939, Ralph’s law office was located at 201 ½ Public Square. By 1947, he had moved his office to rooms 22 and 23 of the Hotel State, where he remained until the 1960’s, even after forming the partnership of Harris, Holbrook and Lambert.
By 1970, the firm was reduced to just Harris and Lambert, with Harris being the senior partner. The firm was then occupying an office at 300 W. Main Street. In the 1970’s the firm took on an extra partner and became Harris, Lambert and Wilson, but by 1990 were back to Harris and Lambert, remaining at the W. Main office.
Mr. Harris served as assistant state’s attorney and at a very young age was elected as a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He was a member of the Illinois and American Bar Associations and was chosen from the State of Illinois to serve on the Civil Practice Act Committee.
Under former Governor Green, Mr. Harris was chosen to serve on the parole board. Other positions which Mr. Harris held throughout his career include serving as past president of the Williamson County Bar Association and membership in the Missouri Athletic Club, Marion Masonic Lodge No 89 A.F. and A.M., the Williamson County Shrine Club, Knight Templar, East St. Louis Consistory of Shrine, the Elks Club BPOE No 800, Knights of Pythias, Marion Eagles Club and was a Republican precinct committeeman for 12 years.
Mr. Harris also was a member of the First United Methodist Church.
Marion Attorney Ralph W. Harris, 77, of 1910 Julianne Dr., died at 7:10 on Monday, October 4, 1982, at Marion Memorial Hospital.
Surviving were his wife Edna and two children, Willis T. Harris of Virden, Illinois, and Mrs. Milton (Sue) Moake of Biloxi, Miss.; five grandchildren, Kimberley Ann Tomasetti of Korea, Deborah Sue Moake, Dallas, Texas, Sandra Kay Moake and Steven Dale Moake both of Austin, Tex., and Ralph W. Harris II of Virden; one brother, John L. Harris, Marion, and four sisters, Mrs. Winifred Perry, Mrs. Mayme DeBruin and Mrs. Alice Wheeler, all of Marion, and Mrs. Ferne Harris Hunsehe of Phoenix, Arizona.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, James P. Harris, Harry Harris, and Willie Harris who died in infancy, and two sisters, Minnie Sanders Harris, and Carolyn Harris who died in infancy.
Funeral services for Mr. Harris were held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Mitchell-Hughes Funeral Home with Dr. Phillip Harris of Nashville, Tennessee and Elder Gordon Lambert officiating. Burial was in the Rose Hill Cemetery. Visitation was held from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
His wife, Edna, passed away in July of 1993.
(Data extracted from the Marion Daily Republican Obits, October 1982; Marion City Directories; Marion City Cemetery Records; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 10/22/2013)