Searching for the family of Ramon Napoleon Harris

I am not a Harris myself, but my two sons, Bryce and Ramon (Ray) are. I know next to nothing about their Harris roots because their father, Ramon Napoleon Harris II, passed away in June of 1999, just two months before my youngest son was born.  My sons have only my memories to get to know their father and his family. We had only been together three short years when he passed away.  I want to construct a family tree for them of their father’s family to help them understand their roots and where/who they come from on his side. An additional factor that makes this all the more important to me, and important for them, is that their father was African American (I am not). I have no way of sharing this extremely important part of their heritage with them other than by reading and sharing the history you can find in books. While that is important, I don’t think it will offer a complete enough picture for them. It is not the same as hearing from your own family about their real experiences. Essentially, I want more for them than a history lesson. I want that history to come alive, with names, faces, places, experiences…  The only way I can give this to them is to learn everything I can about their Alabama families, and then combine that with history to share with them the true story of where they come from on their father’s side. I want them to have a clear understanding of everything that came before them, and everything their ancestors did, and had to survive in order for them to ever have been born.  I want them to know whose shoulders they stand on.

What I know for sure:

Their father, Ramon Napoleon Harris II was born on Valentine’s Day in 1967 at the Tuskegee Institute. His parents, Ramon Napoleon Harris and Thelma Davies were married in Bullock County in 1966. After Ramon Jr. was born, the family moved to Pontiac, Michigan, where Ramon Sr. was a high school teacher until he retired. They moved back to Alabama after retirement, but have since moved to the East Coast to live near their daughter, the only other child they had.  I know from the few conversations I have had with them that they have deep Alabama roots. Some of the family (not sure if it is the Harris’ or the Davies’) moved to Ohio and stayed there. 

I do not know the names of any of Ramon Jr’s grandparents, so I have not been able to locate the family prior to 1930. If I can accomplish locating relatives prior to 1930, I can begin to build the tree and begin learning about my son’s ancestors.

Jen Russell, Bryce and Ray’s Mother

If you have any information to provide, please contact me at:  email: russellje72@gmail.com