Three Nephews Remember Claude

Claude was a fascinating man. Sort of a Gary Cooper type. He had an impressive collection of arrowheads. He went on hunting trips out west and loved the outdoors. Once we had Black bear meat for supper! I just thought it was unusually good roast beef and commented about it to Dorothy. Then Claude told us we had just had Black bear! Ugh!

                                        - Rick Baxter

I recall Claude stopping by one time. He had a Plymouth station wagon at the time. I recall the front seat would lift up and it had an 8 inch deep area under the whole seat, which at the time he stopped by had about 6 inches of arrowheads in it.

[On his trips across fields searching for Indian artifacts,] we kids used to walk ahead of him looking, because we knew where ever he went, there were gonna be arrowheads. Needless to say, his pockets would be full, and we might find one or two.

Claude had a unique talent for finding things, kind of a built in GPS. Back in the 1930-50's he traveled a lot looking for old Indian villages throughout Illinois [, Arkansas, Missouri, and probably other states]. He would often find old Indian living sites, which were treasure troves of arrowheds, spear points, etc. He was an arrowhead collector and could instinctively find old Indian artifacts while walking across a field. He would put these together in displays, mounted on velvet under glass and sell them.

This ability also extended to finding people. Back in the 1920-30's he and his brothers hoboed across the country riding the rails to find seasonal work and to see the world. From their little town of Naylor, Missouri, they made it to California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, and no doubt many points in between.

Claude's brothers often told stories about his abilities. Someone would tell him and his brothers, "If you're ever in Albequerque, New Mexico, look up my brother. I'm sure he would give you a meal and a place to stay for the night." Sure enough, at some point they would pass through Albequerque, and one of the brothers would say, "Claude where do you think so-in-so's brother lives?" Claude would guide them, "Turn lelt, go straight for a mile, turn right, turn left. I think it's that house over on the left with the picket fence." One of them would walk up and ask and sure enough it would be the right house!

                                        - John Harris

It amazes me now, that when I was a child - and even as a teenager - how little I was aware of the relationships between myself and visitors to our family home or to those whom our family visited. Only in recent years have I understood the interelated family ties to all of those individuals. Claude Harris is one of those individuals.

I can recall Claude visiting our home when I was a young boy and we lived on the farm south of Naylor, Missouri, in the early and mid 1960's. He would come and wander around over our fields, usually in the winter months when the crops were already harvested and the ground bare ... allowing him to more easily spot the indian arrow heads turned up by the plows.

And I recall in the late 1960's when I was a teenager and we lived in Rockford, Illinois, our family drove over to Kankakee to visit the Claude and Dorothy Harris at their home there. I remember Claude taking my Dad and myself into his den where the walls were covered with display cases filled with indian arrow heads and other artifacts he had discovered. They discussed the intense responsibility of mixing fantasticly expensive prescription medicines at Claude's workplace, and the reading requirement at the public college being attended by Claude's son including Playboy magazine!

I cannot recall any specific examples, but I know that my Dad always had a great respect for the Biblical knowledge and preaching skill of Rev. Claude Harris. Pastor Harris was the pastor of the Buncomb Pentecostal Church (located about 6 miles south of Naylor, Missouri) during the period in the mid 1930's. My Dad and his older brother were both married on Christmas eve 1936. Marvin Baxter married Dorothy Griffin. Marvin died of tuberculosis just two years later after spending the last year of his life in the Missouri State Sanitorium. I believe that the experiences of losing his brother, and during the same time losing his first born son, deeply affected my Dad and, with the influence of Pastor Harris, contributed to his life-long deep Christian faith.

After the untimely death of 23 year old Marvin Baxter, Pastor Claude Harris married his 20 year old widow, Dorothy.

                                        - Roger Baxter

2011-11-09 21:00:57 RBaxter

See additional information on the Individual Data Info Page for Claude Harris.

We would love to hear from you if you happen to know additional details about this story (or different "facts" about this story), or even other stories about Claude Harris that we don't include here on this website, please contact the Editor.