Doris Baxter Harris

Doris Baxter Harris of Ringgold passed away June 28, 2021. Born in Murray County, Georgia the eighth of ten children to Luke Crittenden Baxter and Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” Middleton Baxter on April 1, 1927, she was given the name of Edith Doris. 

As a young child, the family moved to Ringgold where she grew up learning to do her part to help on the family farm.  She told stories of the fun she had swimming in Chickamauga Creek, riding horses with her sister Jeanie and learning to drive her Dad’s 1938 Chevrolet in the fields.

She married John Harris in 1951 and lived in Chattanooga until 1957 when they built their house next to the Baxter home place in Ringgold.  They lived in that house until it was destroyed by the 2011 tornado and they moved just a few miles to a new condominium in The Highlands community.

She spent most of her working years as a secretary at Ringgold High School, Ringgold Intermediate School, and Tiger Creek Elementary.  In her retirement years she enjoyed working in the yard, shopping with her sisters Louise and Jeanie and her niece Lynn, spending time with her grandchildren and later walking with her neighbors in The Highlands.  She was a long time member of Ringgold First Baptist Church. 

She was preceded in death by her husband John Patrick Harris, her parents, her nine siblings and their spouses: Hugh Don (Valora), Lawrence (Mary), Lewis (Faye), Nesbitt (Grace), Louise, “Bud”, Grace, Jeanie (Roy Hawes), and John (Jane).  Surviving Doris are her sister-in-law Joann Baxter, son Chris (Tina) and grandchildren Anna Beth and Patrick, many nieces and nephews including Lynn Hawes, Susan (BJ Campbell) Baxter, Ronnie (Linda) Walker, and Amy (David Blakeman) Jernigan and her dear friend Bonnie Babb. 

She loved living in her own home in The Highlands and said many times the only way she wanted to move out would be “feet first”.  Her family would like to give special thanks to the ones who helped her live independently in her last few years:  Her niece Lynn who helped care for her and took her on weekly shopping trips, her wonderful neighbors who took her walking, helped get her garbage to the street and kept an eye on her to make sure she was ok, her friend Jane Bailey who took her to church when she could no longer drive, and her physicians Dr. Davey Daniel and Dr. Richard Sowell.

A graveside service will be held 10 am Thursday July 8, at the Anderson Cemetery in Ringgold GA with Rev. Eric Kennedy officiating.

In lieu of flowers, please remember Doris with a donation to the Ringgold First Baptist Church Building Fund, 7611 Nashville Street, Ringgold GA 30736

A Graveside service will be held 10 am Thursday July 8, 2021 at Anderson Cemetery with Rev. Eric Kennedy officiating.

There will be no visitation at the funeral home  arrangements by Heritage Funeral Home, Battlefield Parkway.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.