Opal Lee Harris

Funeral services for Opal Lee Harris, 93, of Lufkin will be held Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in the Carroway Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Steve Cowart officiating.

Opal Lee Miller was born at home in the Concord Community of Angelina County, Texas on August 28, 1932, to John Lee Miller and Vina Viola King Miller. As luck would have it, the Millers were blessed with another daughter that day, Opal Lee’s twin sister, Opal Lene. The twins were born prematurely, with Opal Lene weighing in at 3 pounds and her little sister weighing only 1 1/2 pounds, which appropriately inspired their life-long nicknames “Big Gal” for Opal Lene and “Fiddlesticks” for Opal Lee.

Opal Lee passed away on Friday, September 12, 2025 at her home in Lufkin, Texas.

Opal grew up in Angelina County and discovered her love of Southern gospel music at the early age of 6 when her parents enrolled her in the Concord Missionary Church singing schools where she and Big Gal sang duets together.

When the Concord Community was flooded for installation of the Sam Rayburn Lake and dam, Opal and her family were relocated to Zavalla, Texas. She was valedictorian of Zavalla High School, graduated early at 15 years old and while at ZHS met a very outgoing, charming basketball player named William Bryant Harris. W.B. left high school early too, but it was to join the Army in 1947. During a furlough, Opal Lee Miller & William Bryant Harris ran off together to get married on June 1, 1948.

Opal & W.B. started their family in 1949 with the first of six children, Jerry Lynn was born that year; siblings followed: Janis Ann was born in 1952, twin boys Charlie Raymond and Chester Damon in 1956, Juanita Elaine in 1962 and JoVina in 1964. With two children in junior high, two in elementary school and two in diapers, Opal managed to graduate after only 3 years from Lamar University in Beaumont, with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a minor in music. Opal believed that everyone should know how to read music. She taught all her children how to sing and read music and even taught “singing schools” all over Angelina County, sharing her love with her community.

Opal & W.B. organized “The Singing Harris Family” in 1963 with their first four children, who were taught to sing before they entered public school and attended the prestigious Stamps Quartet School of Music in Dallas, Texas. The Singing Harris Family performed gospel music in the traditional shape-note, four-part harmony style all over the state of Texas, including the Texas Folklife Festival every year from 1974 to 1990. Opal was a prolific songwriter and six of her songs were published by the Stamps Quartet Music Company.

In addition to her singing career, Opal was a much-loved elementary school teacher in the Lufkin Independent School District for 22 years.

Opal’s family was everything to her.

She is survived by her daughter JoVina Harris, who has been her caregiver for the last 10 years. She is also survived by her children, Jerry Harris (wife Vicki), Charlie Harris (wife Peggy), and Chester Harris (wife Terri); sister-in-law DeLois Harris Broussard; nephew Dennis Modisett (wife Diane); and niece Linda Modisett Laurents (husband Chuck); 11 grandchildren: John Paul Harris (wife Lisa), Christy Rich (husband Mark), Joel Perritte (wife Kari), Jody Perritte (wife Angie), Jason Harris (wife Sharon), Stephanie Davis (husband Aaron), Kathryn Dover (husband Dalton), Brandon Harris (wife Kayla), Megan Harris, Sarah Holcombe (husband Jerrod), Cason Harris (wife Lindzey); 24 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

Opal is preceded in death by her beloved W.B. who passed in 2015 after 67 years of wedded bliss. Also preceding her in death, daughters Janis Ann Harris Perritte and Juanita Elaine Harris; and her twin sister Opal Lene “Big Gal” Miller Modisett.

In lieu of flowers, please support Opal’s favorite educational organization, Texas Southern Gospel School of Music. You can send donations to TSGSM 305 Trailwood Drive, Crockett, Texas 75835 or via Venmo tsgsm96.

Fiddlesticks will be laid to rest next to her W.B. in the Tom Havard Cemetery.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Tuesday prior to the service.

Memories and condolences may be added, and live webcasting of the services may be viewed, at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.