[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 109 (Thursday, September 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1675-E1676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORY OF IMOGENE HARRIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN S. TANNER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 2006

  Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the memory of Mrs. 
Imogene Harris, an important community leader in Tennessee, a tireless 
political activist and my dear friend. Imogene died Saturday in an 
automobile accident.
  Imogene had been active in the Gibson County Democratic Party and the 
Tennessee Democratic Party for nearly 50 years, during which she was an 
important part of hundreds of local, state and national campaigns. I 
was fortunate to have Imogene working in my congressional office. She 
also worked closely with my predecessor, the late Congressman Ed Jones, 
former Governor Ned McWherter and Vice President Al Gore, and served as 
a delegate to four Democratic National Conventions.
  She was just as involved locally. A board member at the Carl Perkins 
Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse and former chair of the Milan 
Housing Authority, Imogene was also to be sworn in next week as a 
Gibson County Commissioner.
  The driving force behind her work was an attempt to help those around 
her and make our community stronger. Imogene was known in Tennessee for 
her take-charge attitude. She knew her opinions, shared them often and 
acted on them enthusiastically.
  Imogene and her late husband, Tom ``Skinny'' Harris, have two 
daughters, Jan Anderson of Milan and Pam McAlpin of Trezevant, and four 
grandchildren, Jake and Clay Anderson, and Jason and Adam McAlpin.
  Mr. Speaker, I am saddened that you and most of our colleagues in the 
House of Representatives never got to meet my friend, Imogene Harris. 
The way she lived her life, the passion with which she acted on her 
beliefs, and the dedication with which she worked to improve our world, 
make her the perfect example of effective leadership. She will be 
sorely missed.

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