Lois B. Harris, 83, of Pierceton, Ind., passed away at 7:35 p.m. Thursday, May 9, 2013, at Lutheran Hospital of Indiana in Fort Wayne, Ind.

She was born Aug. 2, 1929, in Oshkosh, Wisc., to John Bertus “Bert” and Florence (Bonnett) Mitchell.

She grew up in the Hobart / Ainsworth, Ind., areas and graduated in 1947 from Merrillville High School. She was married on June 1, 1947, in Hobart to Howard Henry Harris who preceded her on Oct. 8, 2002, and lived in Rensselaer for many years before moving to Pierceton in 1977.

She was a homemaker, Avon lady and former co-owner / operator of Walker – Harris Construction in Pierceton. She also formerly worked at Jasper County Hospital in Rensselaer, Ind., as a nurse’s aide, started the kindergarten school program in Hebron, Ind., and worked at Ace Hardware in North Webster, Ind.

She was a member of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Warsaw, Ind., and Home Economics Club in Pierceton. She formerly attended the Evangelical Free Church in Rensselaer where she taught Sunday School and played the piano and was a Den Mother for Cub Scouts when her children were young.

She is survived by two daughters: Carolyn (Ron Saba) Harris, Indianapolis; and Judy (Leonard “Len”) Benham, Kouts, Ind.; three sons: Jay (Karen) Harris, Pierceton; Dave (Judy) Harris, Bay City, Mich.; and Ron Harris, Warsaw; five grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and three sisters: Carol (Clarence) Halfman, Pierceton; Lorraine (Steve) Trumbo, Hobart; and Betty Boxwell, Valencia, Calif.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a son: Roger Allen Harris; a great-grandson: Austin Niereiter; and a brother: John B. “Bud” Mitchell Jr.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Owen Family Funeral Home, SR 13 and CR 500 North, North Webster. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, May 17, at the funeral home with Pastor Layne Sumner of the church officiating. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Central time (3 p.m. Eastern) on Friday in the Hebron Cemetery, Hwy 231, Hebron, Ind.

Memorials may be made to Fellowship Baptist Church, 1838 E. Kosciusko Dr., Warsaw, IN 46582. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.