Roberta Harris

Mrs. Roberta “Bert” Harris was born on August 24, 1924, to the late Louis and Ida Pearson in Lake Providence, Louisiana.

During her early years in Louisiana, she worked in the agriculture fields (picking and chopping cotton), working as a house maid in Lake Providence and as a cook in New Orleans. She would later marry her childhood sweetheart Alex “Hunny” Harris. To this union was born a daughter Dorothy Lee Harris, daughter Naomi Jean Harris (Sullivan), son James A. Harris, son Alex Elton Harris and daughter Diane Harris (Wilkinson).

In 1953 she moved to Los Angeles California where she started working in the garment business making various articles of clothing. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles she was baptized at the 110th and Wilmington Church of Christ. She remained a faithful and dedicated hard worker in the Church throughout her years.

In 1966, she and the family moved to Perris, California where she continued her employment in the garment business. She built a building that allowed her to work from home and commuted to Los Angeles to drop off completed work and pick-up new supplies. She loved living in Perris. She and Hunny raised livestock and planted large gardens and fruit trees. This allowed her to re-live her upbringing in the country, raising and slaughtering her own meat, and preserving the fruits and vegetables from her garden. Bert always had a vision and drive for expanding her skills and working on new projects. Over the next 20 years she would utilize her entrepreneur skills in operating a neighborhood store, building a restaurant-motel, and (2) 30 bed board and care homes. She worked 24/7 365 in her board and care homes caring for those in need. There was never a challenge where she backed down from. In the early 90’s after the passing of Hunny, Bert moved to Barnett, Missouri where she started a new adventure of opening up her own collectables store. After approximately 10 years in MO, Bert moved back to Perris and continued her business of selling collectables. Approximately in 2008, she was recognized by the Dora Nelson Black History Foundation in Perris as a leading Black Entrepreneur in the Perris Valley.  Leading up to her illness she was always on the move and never let darkness settle under her feet.

Bert was preceded in death by her husband Alex “Hunny”, daughter Dorothy Lee, three brothers: Charles Pearson, Cornelius Pearson, and Elbert Davis, and four sisters: Matilly Miles, Ora Pearson, Mable Jones, and Rosie Lee Pearson.

On December 15, 2020, Bert left to cherish her memory:  A daughter and son-in-law  Naomi Jean and Percy Sullivan, son and daughter-in-law James and Christi Harris, Son Alex,  Daughter Diane and son-in-law David Wilkinson, foster son Dominic “Dan” Evans ; grandchildren, Mose and Kevin (Kyley)  Weatherspoon, James Jr., Chrystal, DeVonte, Terrence, Tyler Harris, Natasha (Darian) Green,  Trese (Bruce) Wallace, Monique, Angelica, David Wilkinson, Tyron, Keeyon Payton-Evans, Alexander, Angela Evans; great grandchildren Nekeyia, Alex, Kevin and Alison Weatherspoon, Jaiden, Simeon and Sasha Green, Alonzo Ortega, Riley Fleming, Jordan Lee, Kai, Daxen Harris, Teya Carr, Ava and Tauri Wallace, Serenity Evans; great-great grandchildren, Nymar-King Craft and Ka’Neeya Scott, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

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