Cress Harris
Cress Edward Harris, 83, of Union City passed away Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.
Funeral service will be at 3 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2025, at Woodland Mills First Baptist Church, with Bro. Rick Burton and Bro. Shawn White officiating. Burial will follow in Obion County Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Friday beginning at 1 p.m. and will run until the time of service at the church.
Pallbearers will be Bryce Harris, Kyle McClure, Byron Brown, Andrew Darst, Nathan Glover and Terry Hornsby. Honorary pallbearers will be all members of his Sunday School Class, the Deacons of Woodland Mills First Baptist Church and members of Gideons International and Auxiliary.
Mr. Harris was born July 26, 1941, to the late JD and Eunia Mae Tuck Harris in Obion County. He married Bettye Ruth Norrid Harris on May 30, 1964. Bettye passed away on Feb. 13, 2017, after almost 53 years of beloved marriage. He then married Mrs. Jurline Mahan Harris on April 6, 2019. She survives.
Cress was a member of Woodland Mills First Baptist Church, where he was a deacon for over 50 years and taught a Bible class for over 40 years. He was a member of Gideons International Obion County Camp, holding various offices since 1999. He and his good friend, the late Jim Stone, served together in a Jail Ministry for over 10 years at the Obion County Jail.
Cress graduated from Woodland Mills High School in 1959. That fall, he joined the United States Navy and was stationed on the West Coast, where he graduated from Naval Refrigeration School. After returning home, he went to work for Obion County Hospital as a maintenance man for four years and then worked for the former Home Comfort Equipment Co. In 1968, he went to work for E.W. James & Sons as a refrigeration tech. While owning his own air conditioning and refrigeration business for approximately 10 years, and before going to work full-time for E.W. James & Sons as the head of maintenance, he furthered his education by taking classes at Tennessee Technical College, the University of Tennessee at Martin and West Kentucky Technical College. He completed a variety of courses, including drafting and most of the courses offered by The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES), of which he was a member starting in 1970. He held the highest RSES membership designation, Certificate Member Specialist (CMS), from 1984 to his passing. He held his position as Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance at E.W. James & Sons, where he was in charge of designing, building and remodeling the E.W. James stores until he retired in 2014.
He loved his family and being a father and grandfather. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his father, son and brothers. Mr. Cress also enjoyed gardening, horticulture, working on home projects with his family and taking family vacations.
In addition to his wife, Jurline Mahan Harris, Mr. Cress is also survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Cyril and Paula Harris of Union City; two daughters and one son-in-law, Cheryl McClure of Union City and Melinda and Brennan Wicker of Union City; six grandchildren, Bryce (Shelbi) Harris, Kyle (Angie) McClure, Krysten (Byron) Brown, Allison (Andrew) Darst, Macy McClure and Marlee (Nathan) Glover; two great-grandchildren, Dixie Lee Harris and Mason Lyn Harris; one stepdaughter, Bonita Mahan; four brothers, Thomas Harris of Arizona, James Harris of Union City, Larry (Caroline) Harris of Union City and Phillip (Pam) Harris of Union City; one sister, Janice (Bill) Smith of Union City; and his brother-in-law, Bob (Linda) Norrid of Texas.
Along with his first wife and parents, he was preceded in death by his stepson, Fred Mahan; his brother-in-law, Harold Norrid; and his sister-in-law, Sandra Harris.
The Messenger 7.21.25