William Beasley Harris (1873 - 1940)

Born 11 Oct 1873 in Suwannee, Florida, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ellen (McMullen) Harris — married 11 Nov 1901 in Largo, Florida

Descendants

Died 30 Oct 1940 at age 67 in Lealman, Pinellas, Florida, United States

Biography

William Beasley "Uncle Billy" Harris was born in 1873, the son of James Harris and Sarah Lealman, while the family was living in Suwannee County, Florida.

William Beasley "Uncle Billy" Harris was a businessman who lived in rural Lealman, Florida in 1911. He was the grandson of Elza Beasley Lealman for whom the area was named, Elza Beasley Lealman was his maternal grandfather.

William Beasley "Uncle Billy" Harris had several children, including:

• Frank Maurice Harris, the eldest, born October 16, 1902, and passed away in 1976.
• Edna Gertrude Harris, born 1905, and passed away in 1977
• Vera (Verne) Claire Harris, born about 1908
• Myrtle Elsie Harris, born about 1910, who became an educator, was principal of Lealman Elementary School from 1930 to 1936, and married ' C. O.' Clowny August Loew in 1935. C. O. was the son of landowner and banker Clowney Edgar Lowe.
• Drayton Orville S. Harris, twin, born about 1913, who became a Pinellas County Commissioner in 1940.
• William August Harris, twin, also born about 1913

William "Uncle Billy" Harris got tired of driving his kids four miles to school over in the Clearview area on dusty roads.

William "Uncle Billy" Harris provided contributions to build a one room school house for his children and the children in the Lealman area at what is now known at 4600 Haines Road.

William "Uncle Billy" Harris passed away of a heart attack at 10pm on the evening of October 30, 1940 at his home at 2503 Lealman Avenue in Lealman, Pinellas County, Florida, leaving his wife Mamie a widow. He is buried in Sunnyside Cemetery on 54th Avenue North in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Sources

• Heritage Park Village, Largo Florida where a replica of his school sits today, built in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Pinellas County in 1987.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTCJ-5CY : accessed 22 October 2016), William B Harris, Election Precinct 17, Pinellas, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 52-50, sheet 5A, family 110, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 610.

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNB4-YYD : 14 December 2015), William Harris, Pinellas Park, Pinellas, Florida, United States; citing sheet 3A, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,229.

• 1920 US Census, Pinellas County, Florida, (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R6W-4V4?mode=g&i=30&cc=1488411)

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNZ3-7XV : 14 July 2016), William B Harris in household of James W Harris, Precinct 1, Hillsborough, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district ED 61, sheet 391D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0128; FHL microfilm 1,254,128.

See Also:

• HERITAGE VILLAGERS History
• HERITAGE VILLAGERS History
• Pinellas County