ODESSA (BRADY) HARRIS

Ethelyn Odessa Brady Harris was welcomed into heaven on Wednesday, February 15th, 2023.  She was born in Dayton, TN on January 5th, 1938, to Odes and Katie Colbaugh Brady.  She married Colonel W. Harris on September 3rd, 1954, and together they raised five sons and a daughter, and later loved and welcomed their “adopted” daughter. 

Odessa was a member of New Union Baptist Church and was retired from the U.S. Postal Service.  Besides her husband and children, she blessed numerous people along the way, whether it was at church, people on her mail route, feeding the many teenage kids who worked on the family farm in the summer, or just being “Grandma” to her 18 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.  A good way to describe her life would be to say that her favorite songs were, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”, “Blessed Assurance”, and “Sheltered In The Arms of God”. 

She is survived by her husband of 68-1/2 years, and her sons and daughters-in-law, Archie (Debbie) Harris of Chattanooga, Leon Harris of Watertown, Dennis (Mary Ann) Harris of Marianna, FL, Barton (Janice) Harris, and Dale (Annette) Harris of Dayton, and daughters and sons-in-law Bonnie (Paul) Cochran and Edie (Jerry) Shaver of Dayton.  Her grandchildren are Evan (Sarah Beth) Harris, Nathan Harris, Sarah (Curt) Evans, and Matthew Harris of Chattanooga, Brandon Harris of Springfield, Justus Harris of Watertown, Courtlyn (Brad) Alexander of Riceville, Derrick (Lindsay) Shaver of Knoxville, Kevin Cochran of Kingston, Caylee (Dan) Fields of Soddy-Daisy, Cyrena (Aaron) O’Bryant of Rossville, GA, Nick (Paige) Cooksey of Hustonville, KY, and Lacy (Steven) Kinney, Jace (Jessie) Cochran, Alex (Jennifer) Shaver, Lauren, Preston, Megan Harris, all of Dayton, and 24 great-grandchildren.  She is also survived by her brother Stanley (Margaret) Brady of Dayton, as well as brothers/sisters-in-law Tom (Patricia) Harris, Betty Pendergrass, Eva (Newton) Layman, Bill (Charlotte) Harris and Ron (Gloria) Harris, and many nieces and nephews.

The family is grateful to her caregiver, Ms. Trina Groce, and is extremely grateful to God for blessing each of them with the love and faithful example of this caring, hard-working, fun-loving, godly woman.

Donations may be made to the Gideons or to the New Union Baptist Church Building Fund, in lieu of flowers.  Pallbearers will be her grandsons. 

 Funeral service will be held at New Union Baptist Church, Monday, February 20, 2023, at 3:00 PM with Dr. Danny Ruehling and Pastor Jeremy Deal officiating.  Burial will follow at Spence Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Coulter Garrison Funeral Home on Sunday, February 19, 2023 and will lie in state at the church from 2:00  - 3:00 PM.    

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