Barbara Harris

The years have held both happiness and sadness.

I married Oran Wilson (class of ‘58) in 1959 and together we had six children; three daughters, Markay, Patricia and Jennifer, and three sons, Oran Jr., Dwayne and Russell. All three sons and Oran are deceased. I have seventeen grandchildren, (includes blood, step, surrogate, and deceased) and four great (and they are truly great) grandchildren.

Over the years I have worked many jobs, (I never really decided on a direction anyway, today I probably would have been put on Ritalin). I have been a store clerk, pharmacists’ assistant, licensed small animal technician, wired computer core planes, done tax preparation, delivered for the post office during Christmas and several other jobs. I drove city bus for the City of Detroit, Michigan (a whole book, believe me) for eight years. I resigned and worked for a charter company, I have driven charter buses, limos, vans, etc. (Over the years I chauffeured many names, including Al Gore, Red Skeleton, Richard Simmons, Sherman Helmsly, many congressmen and women, Nelson Mandella’s entourage, and I may have driven Eminem when I drove for the city.)

I am married for the second time, to Lester Richardson Jr. I owned a bar and he owned a furniture store, both bought out by Chrysler Corp.’s expansion. We have no children together, he’s been a good stepfather and a great “grandpa”. He’s Marketing Manager for a local civic group.

After the sales, I drove for the local branch of a national para-transit corporation contracted to the city for the elderly and handicapped transportation under the ADA. I was promoted to Money Handler, then to Office Manager. I retired as Safety, Risk and Training Manager.

Now, I spend my time with my daughters and grandchildren as much as possible, I also maintain a very small tax business and am a Notary Public. I breed parakeets, and stay busy working on my family tree. I found my brothers and sisters after over forty years of lost contact after my parents died, and have been visiting them as often as possible, having family back is great.

Life has been good and bad, but every minute has been precious. I have learned so much since graduation, things that only life can teach. Those that have come and gone in my life have made my life full, full of friends, family and love, and it all started in my hometown. I look forward to coming back, I haven't been in years.