House of Mercy Director Johanne Harris dies

James Pierce has lived at the House of Mercy in Columbus since 2009. He was saddened to hear the shelter’s director, Johanne P. Harris, had died.

“She was truly a remarkable person,” he said. “She truly loved the Lord.”

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Harris, 69, died Sept. 30 following a brief illness. It was the day after her birthday.

She began serving as director in August 2014 following the death of the previous director, her husband, Bobby Harris.

“If she was sick, she didn’t show it,” Pierce said. “She was always working.”

A Service of Love and Thanksgiving for Joanne Harris will be Friday, Oct. 6, at 10:30 a.m, at New Birth Outreach Church in Midland. Interment will take place at the National Cemetery in Fort Mitchell, Ala.

The House of Mercy is a shelter for the homeless in Columbus. First opened by Mother Ocie Harris in 1974, the House of Mercy has served the needy in Columbus for more than 40 years.

Members of the Harris family have served as the directors of the shelter during those years.

Following Ocie Harris was her daughter, Theola Barrow, then her son, Bobby Harris. And most recently Johanne Harris, who retired from Aflac after 20 years of service.

Their son, Bobby Harris Jr., is now serving as interim director.

The House of Mercy serves more than its residents.

Three days a week needy people can stop by the brick building on Third Avenue and get clothing and furniture. Toys are provided at Christmas. There is a computer for people to use while searching for a job.

“We are feeding and clothing hungry people,” Harris said, recently. “We are doing the work churches should be doing.”

She was hoping to purchase some adjacent land where more living quarters could be constructed.

“We have people living in the woods on the land right now. Many of them come here on Sunday for a church service and we feed them,” she said.

Just prior to her death she had overseen the delivery of several truckloads of supplies to the Hurricane Irma evacuees at the Columbus Civic Center and was preparing additional truckloads of supplies for those in Texas and Florida in need.

House of Mercy board member Cecil Cheves described Harris as a “lady devoted to serving others in the name of her Lord Jesus Christ. She made sure the mission was a Christian mission.”

Cheves said Harris ran a “tight ship” and that people at the House of Mercy had to conduct themselves in a proper manner.

“She was about restoration. She loved serving the homeless and unfortunate,” Cheves said.

Surviving Mrs. Harris are her sons, Bobby D. Harris Jr. and Troy Hysmith, four grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and the House of Mercy family and friends.

This story was originally published October 5, 2017 at 5:29 PM with the headline "House of Mercy Director Johanne Harris dies."