Joan Harris

Joan Kelpen Harris was born on November 22, 1929 in Athens, Texas, the oldest child of Hamby and Jewel Clay Kelpen. The Kelpen family was well known for their ice cream soda fountain in Athens, Texas. Joans family moved to Terrell at the age of 13 when her father became responsible for assuring the refrigeration was working properly for the then famous Kelpen’s Ice Cream Company. Joan attended Abilene Christian College, where she obtained her degree in business. When she returned home, she discovered her dad had used his respected position in the community to persuade Ben Gill, Chairman of the Board of American National Bank, to give his daughter a job. Her transition into the workforce was seamless because her loving family had instilled in her the importance of customer service, a business mindset and a strong work ethic. Shortly after she returned to Terrell, she was set up on a blind date with a man she fell madly in love with by the name of John Harris, and the rest is history. Joan married her husband in 1955 and they had three children, Jennie, Jeff and Jill. When Mr. Gill found out she knew shorthand, he approached her to be his secretary. She was reluctant to take the position and told Mr. Gill she was too slow to take shorthand for him. Mr. Gill promptly responded, “Joan, I’ll go really. . . really . . slow.” This was undoubtedly a match made in heaven because Joan worked for him, followed by Chairman of the Board Riter Hulsey and ANB General Counsel John Davidson. Joan eventually became a vice president and proudly worked at ANBTX until her retirement. She loved her job with all her heart and said it never felt like work. She enjoyed serving customers and helping with all of their banking needs. She was blessed to develop lifelong friendships with her coworkers and customers throughout her 40-year career. After retiring from the bank, Joan and her husband John traveled across the United States in their fifth wheel travel trailer, a hobby they enjoyed for more than 20 years. During this time, they developed relationships with a vast number of lifelong friends from across the country, especially in their favorite location, Estes Park, Colorado. Joan was forever grateful for the opportunity to spend their retirement years with such wonderful people. Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 65. Throughout the 29 years she spent living with this disease, she never lost her faith and joy. She was always the same kind, soft-hearted, wonderful soul, until her last day. She would always say that everything and everyone was ‘WONDERFUL!’ or ‘PERFECT!’ She always said ‘thank you’ to everyone for anything they did for her. She greeted you with a smile and told you how much you were appreciated. She had a big heart and knew how to make anyone feel special. Joan is survived by her daughter Jill Slayton-Cauble and her husband Jerry ‘JC’ Cauble, granddaughters, Lindsey Webb and husband Justin, and Hannah Mack and husband Justin; great-grandchildren, Brayden, Tenley, Style and Klassic; niece Kaye and great niece, Shelby; devoted caretakers, Celia and her husband Al, Gracie and Diane. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband John, daughter Jennie, son Jeff, granddaughter Jennie, brother Hamby, and sister Phyllis. The family requests memorials be made to: The Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, ILL 60601 or the O’Donnell Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, P.O. Box 910888, Dallas, TX 75391-0888. Funeral services will be held Monday, August 5, 2024, at Max Slayton Funeral Chapel starting at 10:00 am. A visitation will be held Sunday, August 4, 2024, at Max Slayton Funeral Chapel from 2 - 4 pm.

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Joan Harris

November 22, 1929 - July 20, 2024