Downard Hansen Funeral Home
Margaret "Maggie" Zita Harris of Pocatello passed away peacefully Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Ketchum, Idaho, surrounded by loved ones. She was age 94.
Margaret was born July 11, 1925, at St. Anthony Hospital in Pocatello to John and Nellie Thomas. She was the youngest of four siblings.
She attended St. Joseph's Catholic School where she took pride in being a member of the girls basketball team and graduated from Pocatello Senior High School in 1943. Margaret served on Girls' Council, was a member of Honor Society, Customs and Courtesy, was the School Treasurer and President of the school bank her senior year.
Maggie worked various secretarial positions before she met her husband John Phillips Harris while they were both working at Jesse M. Chase Motors in Pocatello. They married on July 22, 1948, and raised 12 children.
Together, they owned Harris Gateway Garage on the 100 block of North Arthur and John P. Harris Service on the 800 block of North Main Street where Maggie was the bookkeeper and manger for both businesses and John was the lead mechanic. They later relocated John P. Harris Service to Second Avenue and Clark Street.
John and Margaret moved into their Hawthorne Road home in 1957. In 1971, John tragically passed away and Maggie remained in the home until 2007 where she continued raising their children. She never remarried, because in her words, it would have been unfair to ask someone to love her kids and accept them as much as she did.
Maggie worked primarily as a bookkeeper at O.G. Roche Moving and Storage, Lakeview Truck Stop, Jim's Bannock Tire and Clark Real Estate. She continued working well into her '70s at various jobs, including the Social Security Administration, Sundial Inn and The Hot Tub Co.
She vacationed to Redfish Lake in Stanley with her family every fall. She was a lifelong subscriber to the Idaho State Journal.
Margaret was very proud of her children and grandchildren. She loved unconditionally and was generous to a fault. Her eyes gleamed in the presence of her new babies. She took great pride in her children's and their children's achievements, never missing a single athletic, scholastic or civic event they were involved in.
As an animal lover, Maggie rescued dozens of dogs throughout her life.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was fortunate enough to meet Maggie during his visit to Idaho in 2005. She was a Tiger Woods superfan, didn't do much of anything until her first cup of coffee and if you didn't like the way she drove, stay off the sidewalk.
Margaret was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her sisters, Mary and Gertrude; her brother, John; her daughters, Claudia and Mary Lou and her grandchildren, Eric, Lauren and Christian.
She is survived by her children Cheryl, Debby, Robert, Sandy, James, Jan, Amy, Anne, Roger and Matt; and over 80 grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.
A special thanks to Ashlie, Whitney, Cara, Bobbi Meachelle. Hospice of the Wood River Valley and countless others for their care and attention to Maggie.
Family will receive friends for a viewing Friday, Nov. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church at 439 N. Hayes Ave. in Pocatello. Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Graveside service will follow at Mountain View Cemetery.
Condolences may be sent to the family online at downardfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, please send all donations to the Salvation Army and/or Hospice of the Wood River Valley.
LINKS
Idaho State Journal
http://www.journalnet.com
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