Nancy Jane Harris

Nancy Jane Harris (Elder) of Chelsea, Michigan, passed peacefully in her sleep on July 5, 2017. Nancy spent most of her 87 years in Petersburg, Michigan. She claimed to be a tomboy in her youth and loved climbing trees and bicycling. Her parents, Stanley Alfred Elder and Florence Mabel Elder (Huston) had five children, Nancy being the eldest. Predeceased by her parents and three brothers, Blair and Paul in 1940 and Dennis in 2016, Nancy was incredibly close to her sister Rosemary with whom she shared a lifelong friendship.
She graduated from Petersburg High School in 1947 as valedictorian. She attended the University of Toledo in 1948-1949 and was an aspiring journalist.
Nancy married Richard Lynn Harris (deceased) after Dick returned from serving in the Navy during WWII. They were married 49 years, just a few months shy of their 50th anniversary.
They were devoted parents to three children: Diane Lee (Thomas) Lirette, Steven Alfred Harris and Lynne Alison (David) Crandall. Nancy was an involved parent, serving for many years as Camp Fire Girl leader for Lee and Lynne and as den mother for Steve's Cub Scout troop. She doted on her 8 grandchildren: Christie, Keira, Shannon, Heather, Miles, Erin, Jeffrey and Scott. Nancy was ready to play, read, walk in the woods and cook over a campfire with them, and she always fed them heart-shaped waffles when they slept over. She often exclaimed in pleasure over her good fortune in living long enough to see her 2 great-grandchildren, Elizabeth and Teddy.
She served as the senior auditor for the University of Michigan College of Engineering and retired in 1991 after 14 years of service.
A Methodist for more than 50 years, Nancy used her creative talents and deep faith in Jesus to teach Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. She enjoyed many an outing or visiting speaker with the United Methodist Women's group. Her particular joy was to lead the Missions committee to help spread Jesus' teaching around the world.
Nancy was involved in her community and loved reading, baking, birding and gardening. She loved to camp, fish and hunt for morel mushrooms up north in the spring. Nancy had a great curiosity about history and archaeology and if she wasn't reading the Bible or a birding book, she would be exploring times past. She was a great mom, a loving wife, a hard worker and a good friend. The world was a better place because Nancy Harris was in it.
A memorial service will be held at the Petersburg United Methodist Church (152 Saline St., Petersburg, MI 49270) on Monday, July 10. Visiting with family starts at 10 a.m., service at 11, followed immediately by a luncheon in the church hall.
If you are interested in making a donation in Nancy's honor, mission work was very important to her. If you'd like to honor her this way, make a check out to the Petersburg United Methodist Church and write Mission Work – Nancy Harris in the memo section and send it to the church address above. Arrangements by Cole Funeral Chapel, Chelsea.