Frances M. Harris

Frances Marie Vinner Caldwell Harris was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. The eldest of three children born to Frank Vinner and Velma Mary Jacobs. She was married to Minister Terry L. Harris. On July 2, 2018, Frances Marie Vinner Caldwell Harris heard the call and went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

At the early age of 12, she was baptized and worked hard in the church. She taught Sunday Vocational Bible School and sang in the choir. She was a member of Baptist Christian Convention. At age 13, she became the Church Secretary.

At 15, she became a member of the Black Caucus, and a couple of years later, she became the Secretary of the New Orleans chapter at the University of New Orleans. She was a product of New Orleans Schools, where she stayed on the Honor Roll. She was taught by Nuns and regular teachers. The nuns were from the Dominican order. She received a scholarship in Biology to college. She attended UCLA, Grambling University, and the University of New Orleans majoring in Science.

She always worked. As a teenager, she was the Assistant Director of the Lewis-Ee-Ana Day in New Orleans. In California, she worked as a Rate Proposal Administrator at Equitable Insurance Company on Wilshire Blvd. In Minnesota, she worked as a Social Worker at Clay County. At the University of New Orleans Chemistry Department, she was a University Administrator, where she taught herself and others how to use the stand alone computers. She was the first with that title. While there, she was doing just about everything even proctoring exams and some work in the labs. She later became Office Manager. In Baltimore, she worked at BARC (Baltimore Association for Retarded Citizens) as an Administrator, working with special needs adults. Finally, she worked at Johns Hopkins as a Senior Administrative Coordinator in Pediatrics, where she later retired.

Frances loved people, and peopled loved her. She always had time to listen to others’ problems. She would keep her office door open so that they could vent. From the janitorial to office staff to the doctors, they would all come in to vent. They became her family away from home.

Her dad and mother are no longer here. She leaves to cherish her memories, the loves of her life, the two men in her life, her husband Minister Terry L. Harris and Theral I. Harris, her son; her brother William “Kaila” Jacobs, and her sister, LeDrean “Dreanie” Jacobs; brothers in-law, who were more like brothers, Anthony Collins (Dreanie), Robert Harris (Jocelyn), Benny Harris, and Kevin Harris. Her sisters in-law, who are sisters to her, Cheryl Jacobs (William), Carol Harris, Betty Harris, and last we counted about 86 nieces and nephews, great and great grands. To God Be The Glory For The Great Things He Has Done. 

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