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CLEO B. ROARK SHULL HARRIS

Cleo Shull Harris, 98, died Wednesday July 12, 2017, in Wichita, Kansas. She was born October 19, 1918, in Hutchinson, the daughter of Roy and Ada V. (Zieset) Roark.

Cleo graduated from Hutchinson Junior College and Kansas Wesleyan University. She did graduate work at Kansas University and Fort Hays State.

She married Dwight Shull on July 28, 1940. They farmed in Lane County. After his death in January 1990, Cleo managed the farm until 2001 when she moved to Texas. On September 19, 2000, Cleo married Col. William F. Harris. He died in July 2011.

Cleo was a retired teacher, having taught in Cunningham, Healy, Amy, and Dighton. She was awarded outstanding Teacher of Kansas in 1975.

Her volunteer work was vast. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, Dighton where she taught Sunday school for over 5o years. She was on the Board of Trustees for Kansas Wesleyan University, St. Paul’s School of Theology and Camp Lakeside. She was a member of the World Methodist Council. Cleo was a Delegate to the World Federation of Women and served on the General Board of Church and Society, and several other boards and agencies of the United Methodist Church. She was one of the first women west of the Mississippi to hold the position of Conference Lay Leader. She was honored with many awards including Distinguished Service to Society by the General Board of Church and Society in Washington, D.C. Cleo was also a member of Eastern Star, PEO, and many other organizations.

Preceding her in death were her parents, a brother (Richard Roark), sister (Avalena Roark) and Husbands (Dwight Shull and Wm. F. Harris).

Survivors include sister Carolyn Morrow (Jim), Arizona; sons Richard (Carla) and Philip (Mary), Wichita; daughter Susan Mardock (James), Colby; and Stepson William E. Harris (Glennette), Lubbock, Texas. Cleo had eight grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to acknowledge and thank the staff of Grace Cottage of Wichita for their loving care during the final weeks of Cleo’s life. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on August 12, 2017 at the United Methodist Church in Dighton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shull Scholarship Fund, in care of Boomhower Funeral Home, PO Box 891, Dighton, KS 67839.