BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF NATHAN JOHN HARRIS
Martin Henderson Harris and Louisa Sargant, parents of Nathan John Harris, were early pioneers. They were fearless, courageous, charitable, honest, spiritual minded people and they passed these wonderful characteristics on to their son through their example and teachings. He learned early in life the value of achievement through work.
Nathan was born March 29, 1864, at Harrisville, Utah, the third child in a family of four boys and three girls. He was a home-loving boy who could always be depended upon to do his chores. He and his brother Dennison herded sheep and cows on the flats of Harrisville.
He attended the country school taught by Levi J. Taylor and later boarded with his brother Leander in Ogden and went to the school Louis F. Moench taught. After graduating from the University of Utah he taught school in Harrisville, Farr West and Wilson. He worked on the thresher during the summer vacation. While attending the University he taught himself the organ and was the first organist of the Harrisville Ward. He also served as ward chorister.
On June 15, 1887, at Logan, Utah, he married Emma E. Oakason of Salt Lake City. To them were born nine children, five boys and four girls, all of whom are living.
His friend Richard Ship at one time remarked, “Nathan, you will never be satisfied being a school teacher all your life. Why don’t you study law? You would make a good lawyer.” So after careful consideration he took his wife and three children to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he attended the University of Michigan Law School.
He was active in the branch of the church in Ann Arbor. In the summers he sold books in the logging camps of Northern Michigan. His wife, who was always willing to do her part, took in boarders to help support the family. Their fourth child, a daughter, was born in Ann Arbor. {Mabel, born March 20, 1894.} He graduated in June 1894, and upon his return to Utah established a law practice at Ogden. He was as willing to accept a case for a poor man as for a man with money, and he worked conscientiously and honestly to see that justice was meted out in all cases. He did much work without receiving pay for it. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention which formed the laws for the State of Utah, and was also a member of the first Legislature of the State of Utah, also attending for the two following terms.
He was Justice of the Peace and school trustee at Harrisville and was active in politics in Weber County, being a member of the Republican Party. He was County Attorney for two terms and was appointed District Judge and served one unexpired term of two years, and was elected for two four-year terms.
He learned typewriting and shorthand himself, which was of value to him all his life. He was active in church work all his life. He was Sunday School teacher, Assistant Superintendent, and later became Superintendent of the Sunday School at Harrisville.
He built up an ideal organization which had the distinction of being the only ward in the Church to have 100% punctuality of officers and members for one month. “Punctuality and Preparedness” was his motto in all his life’s work. He was counselor to Levi J. Taylor in the Bishopric of the Harrisville Ward and a member of the High Council of the Weber and Ogden Stakes. At the time of his death he was a ward teacher and a Sunday School teacher in the Ogden 20th Ward.
He served a mission to the Southern States from 1901 to 1903 and was secretary of the Mission.
He loved his home and was affectionate and kind to his children and grand children, making frequent visits to their homes to be with them. He was a great lover of books. In his large library he provided literature suitable to each member of his family.
One of his outstanding accomplishments was his success as a teacher. During the M.I.A. season of 1911-1912, he made a success of the Adult class in the Fourth Ward which had previously been a failure. The lessons were on PoliticalEconomy and his knowledge of this subject aroused the interest of those attending and the attendance immediately picked up until that large room known as the Fourth Ward vestry was packed week after week.
In 1928 he accepted a call as a teacher of the Gospel Doctrine department of the newly organized 20th Ward. The parent’s department had struggled along, a few one Sunday, none the next, so that the average for some months was only two. In a short time this increased to 19 and continued to increase until 50 or 60 in attendance was not uncommon. Many have expressed themselves as having learned more from his class then from any other church class. Non-members frequently came, some of whom investigated and joined the Church. Even tho growing older he was young enough and active enough to be assigned to the 17 to 19 year old class in Sunday School, a position which he held until the time of his death. Here again he made good by perfecting an efficient class organization and letting them govern themselves with him staying in the background as supervisor. His success in this class, as in the others, was not attained in teaching alone, but by reason of the fact that he visited with his prospective members, being in close touch with them always either in person or by letter.
He liked gardening very much. Flowers were one of his hobbies. Early in the morning and late in the night he liked to dig and work in the garden. His place always looked well.
There was never a time when life got so dull as to dim his sense of humor. He loved a good joke and was able to tell one. If the joke were on him he could take it and laugh with you.
His children and grandchildren loved him and his stories by the way he had participated in drama. Even up to a late period in life he had memorized in his youth many recitations, some of which he remembered to the end. The children frequently liked to get him to recite “How Ruby Played” and others. This sense of humor stood him well in life and when adversity was strongest, it came to his rescue. When others were down in the mouth, he could smile and say he guessed it was all in the game and he just as well have his part with it.
Having been a truly great man, he passed away on November 19, 1936, greatly beloved and honored by all who knew him.
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