Jay & Odessa Harris

Robert Jay Harris

May 18, 1923 – March 19, 2017

Odessa Webster Hill Harris

March 23, 1926 – March 19, 2017

Jay, 93, a lifetime resident and legacy of Layton and his West Kaysville sweetheart, Odessa, 90, ended their earthly love story as Jay quietly slipped away on March 19, 2017, and four hours later greeted Dessy as she peacefully joined him to continue their eternal love and marriage.

Jay was born May 18, 1923, to Ezra P. and Emma Stimpson Harris on Easy Street now known as Hill Field Road.  The area was known for coyotes and his stories about coyotes live on.  He loved swimming in the canal.  He grew up working hard, herding cattle to and from Hill Field to graze, hoeing tomato fields, mowing lawns, and delivering newspapers to all of Kaysville and Layton on his horse or bike every night after school.  He always worked two or more jobs.  He graduated from Davis High School, furthering his education at Weber State, Utah State, and BYU.  He was a mid ship gunner aboard a B24 during World War II, flying 22 missions out of Spinazzola, Italy, with his lifetime friend, Howard Morgan.  Employed in civil service, he worked at Hill Air Force Base as a contract administrator until he retired in 1978 from the Department of Defense in Salt Lake City.  After he retired, he became involved in Real Estate.  As an adult, he loved to ride his horse with his friends on Antelope Island and in the mountains where he was known to play tricks on his friends.  He loved basketball, played on the ward M-Men team that took second in All Church, and coached Bantam League youth to several championships.

Odessa was born on March 23, 1926, to Leonard and Blanche Webster Hill in Kaysville, Utah.  She herded cows to Schick Lane and sheep to and from Kay’s Creek daily as a child; doing other farm tasks on the family farm during the day.  She attended Kaysville Elementary, North Davis Jr. High, and Davis High.  She was in Pro Schola in high school.  She worked at Woods Cross Cannery managing all their accounts.  She took great pride in being a volunteer at Davis North Hospital for 30 years.  She was a classy lady.  She was known for landscaping her beautiful yards, decorating windows for each holiday, making 50 loaves of white, wheat, and raisin bread in a day, and embroidering a quilt for each of her children and a tablecloth for each of her grandchildren.  Quietly serving family and friends, she never wanted to be in the limelight.  She gathered her family together for each holiday and was known for her Saturday morning pancakes and Sunday night banana splits.  She devoted her life to being a friend, daughter, mother, wife, and teaching her children to be faithful.  Her family was always first.

Jay and Odessa were married on April 10, 1946 in the Salt Lake Temple beginning their lifetime career supporting one another in their endeavors.  They worked side by side making their dreams come true.  In 1950 they, themselves, built their first home out of half of an army barrack on Syracuse Road.  Their first cow was purchased to provide milk for the family in 1952.  Selling the excess milk to friends grew into Harris Dairy; it was open from 1952-1983 where they milked 60 cows, sold raw milk, candy, groceries, and gas.  Jay instigated the name change of Syracuse Road to Antelope Drive, because people would go to Syracuse attempting to locate the dairy.  Odessa rounded up the cows for milking in the evenings, bought groceries, managed the store and employees, and handled billing and all financial accounts.  She also helped haul hay.  When the dairy closed, they did new home construction inspections for Barnes Bank until they were 80.  They then enjoyed traveling with friends and spending time at their home in Ivins, Utah.

In 2001 they sold their home and farm land on Antelope Drive and were involved in developing it into Harris Pointe retail area.  They built a new home in West Layton on property where Odessa’s grandfather, Joseph Hill, built the first cabin in Layton which still stands today.

As active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they served in many positions faithfully, enthusiastically, and lovingly.  They served a mission at Pioneer Village at Lagoon.  They taught their children to work then play, love the Lord, live frugally, serve others, and enjoy the moment.

They are survived by their children, Randy (Donna) Harris, Curt (LeAnn) Harris, Joan (Jay) Argyle, Ann (Kent) Flint, their son-in-laws, Chris (Tammy) Bell, Dave (Sharon) Neilson; 34 grandchildren, and 84 great-grandchildren.  Odessa is survived by her sister, Gay Ongley; sister-in-laws; Texie and Margene Hill.  Jay is survived by his sisters, Roberta Fronk and Colleen (Ken) Bowman.

They were preceded in death by their two daughters, Lark Nielson and Karen Bell; a granddaughter, Brooke Harris; great-grandsons, Mason and Andrew Argyle; Odessa’s parents, Leonard and Blanche Hill; and her siblings; Glen and Leornard (Jr.) Hill, Jean (Lloyd) Brink; Jay’s parents, Ezra and Emma Harris; and brothers, Willis, Eugene, Delbert (Carmel), Reed (Lola and Sylvia), and Ted Harris; and brother-in-law Wayne Fronk.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 27, 2017 at 11 a.m. at the Layton Utah South Stake Center, 505 So. 1000 W., Layton.  Friends may visit family Sunday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Road and Monday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the church.

Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery, 500 Crestwood Road.