Samuel Mark Harris died Saturday, January 30, 2021. He was a lifelong resident and farmer of Madison County. He was born August 18, 1955 in Huntsville and was active in 4-H and Madison County Cattleman’s Association before graduating from Lee High School and then attending Auburn University where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta Social Fraternity. Upon graduating in Agricultural Science, he continued the family business for the third generation farm near Meridianville raising beef cattle, cotton and other row crops.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Sam Jr. and Rosa Harris. Survivors include his wife, Rebecca; son, Samuel Harris II; sisters, Karen Rowell (Rex Comer) of Johnson City, TN and Laura Martin (Jeff) of Murfreesboro, TN; nieces, Sara (Matthew) Owens, Diana (Andrew) Hess and Rachel Martin; cousin and farm manager, Charles David Hightower (Janet); and sister and brother-in-law, Mike and Diana Sparkman. His death is also mourned by friends, Linda and Chris Flinchbaugh.
Mark was a life-long member of First Baptist Church. He was an avid supporter of agriculture ranging from serving as president of the Madison County Cattleman’s Association and serving on the boards of the Natural Resources Conservation Service Board, Alabama/Madison County Farmers Federation and Jeff Gin Company. His love for farming and the stewardship of the land was passed down from his paternal grandfather and father on the family farm. Under Mark’s dedication, the landscape changed to reflect the always changing technological shifts in farming. He took great pride in his fields as well as the endless pleasure of sharing time with his fellow farmers.
The service to remember a loving father, husband, brother and friend, will be graveside at Maple Hill Cemetery on Tuesday, February 2 at 11:00 AM officiated by Rev. Billy Orton of First Baptist Church Huntsville. Serving as pallbearers will be Walker Bragg, Jack Dwyer, Andrew Hess, William Monroe, Matthew Owens and Collin Shumate.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Parkinson’s Association of Alabama, Inc. (www.parkinsonalabama.com)
