[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E440-E441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LOUISE LAMBERT HARRIS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TRENT KELLY

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 13, 2026

  Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and 
legacy of Mrs. Louise Lambert Harris, who passed away on May 6, 2026, 
at the age of 88.
  Born in Mobile, Alabama, Mrs. Harris attended St. Genevieve of the 
Pines and later Florida State University. In 1959, she married USAF 
Colonel Carlyle S. ``Smitty'' Harris, beginning a remarkable 
partnership marked by faith, resilience, and devotion.
  When Colonel Harris was shot down and held as a prisoner of war in 
Vietnam for nearly eight years, Mrs. Harris courageously raised their 
three children while supporting POW families and navigating military 
bureaucracy on their behalf. Her strength and determination sustained 
her family through one of the most difficult periods of the Vietnam 
War.
  After returning to Tupelo, Mississippi, Mrs. Harris attended nursing 
school at ltawamba Community College and served as an oncology nurse at 
North Mississippi Medical Center. She was also a dedicated community 
leader and played a key role in founding Sanctuary Hospice House, 
helping establish one of the Nation's first freestanding hospice 
facilities.
  Mrs. Harris is survived by her children, Robin Harris Waldrip and her 
husband, Ken, Carolyn Harris Cole and her husband, Chris, and Carlyle 
``Lyle'' Smith Harris, Jr. and his wife, Cindy; her grandchildren, Reid 
Waldrip and his wife, Kaylee, Lauren Waldrip Zuelzke and her husband, 
Jim, Camie Cole, Carrie Anne Cole, USAF Captain Thomas Harris and his 
wife, Peyton, Blake Harris and his wife, Ali, and Jack Harris; and her 
great-grandchildren, Sam and Maggie Waldrip, Mary Lyle and Bo Zuelzke, 
and Hazel Blake and Carlyle Smith Harris, III.
  Mrs. Harris leaves behind a lasting legacy of compassion, service, 
and perseverance that will continue to inspire all who knew her. We are 
deeply grateful for her extraordinary life and service.

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