Alma Lane Harrison

b. 25 August 1896, d. 25 June 1986
  • Alma Lane Harrison was born on 25 August 1896 in Texas.
  • Henry Holmes Harrison and Ellen Douglas Mitchell appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas. Other members of the household included Alma Lane Harrison, Helen Holmes Harrison and Marie Wilcox Harrison.
  • Henry Holmes Harrison and Ellen Douglas Mitchell appeared in the US federal census of 15 April 1910 in Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas. Other members of the household included Alma Lane Harrison, Helen Holmes Harrison and Marie Wilcox Harrison. Also in the household were three female boarders, all public school teachers.
  • The following appeared on 29 June 1917 in The Weimar Mercury: (Flatonia, June 25) Mrs. Henry. H. Harrison, wife of a prominent stockman and former merchant of this place, was burned to death in the flames when their home in the northeastern part of the city was consumed by fire at an early hour this morning.
         How the fire originated has not been determined. When it was discovered in a closet, at about 3 o'clock, both Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, who were the only members of the family at home, attempted unsuccessfully to extinguish the incipient blaze, and while her husband was occupied in giving the alarm over the telephone, Mrs. Harrison ran upstairs, presumably to save some valued article, and her absence was not noticed for some minutes, Mr. Harrison supposing that she had then left the house. When he came out and looked about for her she was not to be seen, and by this time the flames had made such headway that there was no possibility of a search in the house being made nor of the fire being extinguished, although the alarm had been made general all through the town by ringing bells, blowing whistles and firing pistol shots, and a large crowd had gathered to see the fire, which was spectacular in the extreme.
         It was two and one-half hours before the flames died down sufficiently to allow any search to be made for the body. Until this time it had not been certain whether Mrs. Harrison had perished in the burning house, or had wandered away while overcome by excitement; but she could not be found elsewhere, and immediately after the search in the burning embers was begun some charred remains were found, and later other parts, shrunken and distorted out of all human resemblence, setting at rest all doubt as to her horrible death.
         Mrs. Harrison, previous to her marriage, was Miss Ellen Douglas Mitchell of Cold Spring, San Jacinto county, and taught several terms of school here. During her long residence in this city after marriage she had entered energetically into the social life of the community and was known as a leading spirit in intellectual and philanthropic work.
         The family consisted of three daughters, one of whom, Miss Helen, has recently been instrumental in the formation of a Red Cross chapter here and is now at Wichita Falls, attending the National Honor Guard Girls' encampment. Another, Miss Marie, is visiting in Houston at the home of her aunt, Mrs. John Lane, a sister of Mr. Harrison. Both were immediately notified by wire. The remaining daughter, Miss Alma, was spending the night with her grandmother, Mrs. J. M. Harrison, in another part of the town at the time of the tragedy.
         The house was a handsome two-story frame residence. Nothing was left standing above the foundation except two tall brick chimneys, built up from the ground, which after the fire loomed from a square of glowing embers like ghastly monuments to the destruction they had witnessed. The contents of the house, inciuding many rich furhishings and elaborate furniture, represented a total loss of well over $10,000, partially covered by insurance. This fire was the first in Flatonia for some fifteen months.
         Mr. Harrison was nearly crazed at the loss of his wife, and the tragedy has had a depressing effect upon the entire community, coming as a climax upon the heels of several violent deaths by accident here within the past two weeks.
  • She officially witnessed the death of Marie Wilcox Harrison on 3 May 1961 at Rugeley-Blasingame Hospital in Wharton, Texas.
  • Alma Lane Harrison died on 25 June 1986 at age 89 in Harris County, Texas.
  • Last Edited: 3 Apr 2013