Lola Harris

Funeral Services for Lola Jean Harris, 68 of Baker will be held 11:00 a. m. Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at American Lutheran Church in Baker with Pastors Bruce & Reba Kolasch officiating. Burial will follow in Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Plevna. Visitation will be Sunday, May 22, 2005 from 12:00 p. m to 9:00 p. m, continuing on Monday, May 23, 2005 from 9:00 a. m. to 9:00 p. m. at Stevenson Funeral Home in Baker with a Prayer Service being held at 7:00 p. m. Lola, surrounded by family and close friends, succumbed to cancer on May 18, 2005 at Saint Vincent Hospital in Billings after a short but intense battle with the disease. Lola was born November 9, 1936 in Baker, Montana, the only child to Philip and Martha M. (Schell) Schweigert. She grew up on a farm 10 miles west of Baker and attended school in Plevna, graduating from Plevna High School in 1954. After graduation, she attended Rocky Mountain College and The Billings Business College for 2 years before taking a job with the Department of Revenue in Miles City, Montana. It was there she met the love of her life, Foster Harris, who would become her husband of 41 ? years until his death in 1998. Their union produced two daughters, Debra (Debi) Jo born in May of 1958 in Miles City. Two years later, in June of 1960, Lola gave birth to their second child, Roxi Lynne, born in Greenville, South Carolina. Lola worked for Fallon County and later the State of Montana for 27 years. Through these years she met wonderful people who would become her lifelong friends. Lola enjoyed bowling, gardening, and dancing, camping, walking and all sporting events. In her earlier years, she taught dance classes at the Arthur Miller School of Dance in South Carolina. She was a league bowler for many years. She was an avid traveler having spent time in Ireland, Spain, Great Britain, Africa, Newfoundland, and Mexico. She and Foster traveled extensively around the United States. Later, they enjoyed less exotic travels like camping at Sandstone or Bowman Hailey Dam. But, the travels she enjoyed most of all were those to her grandchildren?s sporting events. She was a loyal Baker Spartan, Bozeman Hawk, Dickinson Blue Hawk and Boise State Bronco. She was just starting to stock up on Montana Grizzly items for next year. She was an avid football fan, and very proud of the fact that all three of her grandsons had been selected to play in both of Montana?s All-Star Football Games. In 2002, she took a 10 day trip to the west coast with all three of her granddaughters. It was one of her favorite memories and a trip she was planning to take again with the girls when she felt better. Lola was a member of RSVP through which she worked as a hospital volunteer for the Pink Ladies and an active member of the American Lutheran Church. She was serving on the church board at the time of her death. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Charity Chapter #60, Red Hat Society, birthday club and Friday coffee club, all of which she looked forward to and spoke about often. Lola was generous with her time, always being a friend you could count on to take you to a doctor’s appointment or to visit relatives who lived out of town. She enjoyed her visits with her special Aunt Lydia Christman. Although an only child, Lola considered her many cousins to be more like siblings. She thought of Cliff Schell and Dennis Afrank as the brothers she never had. She was so thankful for the special care she received from Dennis Afrank and his wife Debbie during her illness. She looked forward to the class reunions and family celebrations. Christmas was her favorite time of the year with the grandkids. Even after losing her beloved Foster on Christmas Day in 1998, she still managed to make the holiday memorable for her family year after year. She was a loyal friend, a loving wife, a wonderful mother and an extraordinary grandmother. She is survived by her daughters, Debi and her husband Jim Schillinger of Baker and Roxi and her husband Bill Walker of Bozeman. She also leaves behind seven grandchildren who miss their grandma very much, Shann Schillinger, Jace Schillinger and his wife Amie, all of Baker, Brandy Schillinger of Culbertson, MT, Teneea Bissell and Payton Walker of Bozeman and Tanyon Bissell of Boise, Idaho and numerous, aunts, uncles, cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.


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Burial Date: May 24, 2005
Funeral Home Baker, MT

Funeral: Tuesday, American Lutheran Church, Bake