Vernon Blount Harris

Vernon Blount Harris married Hazel Miles. Hazel died in 1955. He later married Catherine Crist Turner on 7/12/1955. They did not have any children. After Gaston died, Vernon took over the gas company as president.

My grandmother said that he did this thing where he would act like he was stuttering, but he really wasn't. He talked like that so much that it became a habit that actually stuck Dad remembers that he smoked cigars and was a comical person. The second floor of his house was made up like a party room, with a bar, lights, etc. They lived in Green Acres in Norfolk. Also they had a dog (spitz) named Snowball.

Dad remembers that Hazel and Vernon always sent him a Valentine. When Hazel had cancer before she died, Dad sent her a Valentine.

Vernon's second wife, Catherine, was about the same age as my grandmother. In fact, they both went to Maury High about the same time. Catherine would tease my grandmother and say "I'm 'Auntie Catherine' to you."

Wilbur Palmer wrote this about his memories of Uncle Vernon: "He ran a healthly business. Once he ran his business out of a home. In his backyard there was a buried large tank for gasoline, and above it a gasoline-station pump. Thus he could fill his trucks and his car from his own supply of gasoline. Near this was a Coke machine for the men. Coke at that time cost 5 cents for a 6oz. bottle. Uncle Vernon thought it wise to buy a new car every year (I remember it being very black), and turn in his last year's car. This seemed sensible to him for it should mean less or no cost for repairs, and a nice looking car would make a fine appearance when going to prospective customers' homes, and long-time customers' houses. He belonged to the Masons. He had friends that were quite high up in business, and maybe in Norfolk city government. He was heavy set. He was cheerful and friendly, as others in his Harris family. He bought a very nice home with Aunt Hazel. While there, she died. After some months, he married a lady Catherine. Rather than live in the home he bought with Hazel, he bought another home."

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