Hodges Ray ‘Bubba’ Harmon
God’s gifts to each of us are our blessings!
The Homegoing Celebration for Hodges Ray “Bubba” Harmon is scheduled Friday, July 2, 2021, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Welsh.
A viewing service will be held at the Welsh Community Center, located at 101 Palmer Street in Welsh, from 9-10:30 a.m.
Burial will be held in Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Cemetery under the direction of King’s Funeral Home.
On Aug. 1, 1929, James Harmon and Lovenia Dugar Harmon were blessed with their youngest son, Hodges Ray “Bubba” Harmon.
He joined his older brother and only sibling, Eugene “Gene,” as their precious gifts from God.
A lifelong resident of Welsh, Hodges enjoyed a happy childhood, attending Welsh Rosenwald Negro School, completing only the 8th grade of his education. It was during his school days that Hodges met and fell in love with his life partner, Daisy Mae Vital. He recalled that “she was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen and I knew that I was going to marry her.”
After leaving school, Hodges began working with his father on local farms and assisting him in repairing cars of family and friends in the community of Welsh so that he could convince Dorsey and Eva Vital that he could take care of their daughter. With the blessings of both their parents, on June 26, 1948, Hodges and Daisy married at St. Joseph Catholic Church, a union that spanned 73 years. They became the loving parents of three daughters, Shiela, Lynette and Daisette, and one son, Luther, who they proudly raised in the values of Catholic Christian life and educational achievement. It was because of their inability to complete their educational dreams that Daisy and Hodges instilled the importance of education in their children, resulting in all of them and their grandchildren completing higher education degrees.
A dedicated family man, Hodges worked several years building the pipeline system across Texas before quitting to spend more time at home with his growing family. Always blessed with a talent for repairing cars, he fulfilled his dream of business ownership, establishing Harmon’s Repair Shop. For approximately 25 years, he serviced cars for a growing clientele, eventually closing his shop and retiring during the late 1980s. To remain active during retirement, Hodges worked for approximately three years in maintenance service at CITGO Refinery in Lake Charles.
Hodges and Daisy lived their lives to the fullest, enjoying fun times and vacations with family in Louisiana, Wisconsin, Texas, Illinois and California. As their children moved throughout the country, there were yearly visits to Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Hodges, at the age of 76, traveled to Ghana, West Africa, with Daisette to fulfill his dream “to visit the land of his ancestors.” He also traveled with his daughters and granddaughters to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In addition to his love of traveling, Hodges, for many years, was an avid gardener, planting not only beautiful flowers but seasonal vegetables and fruits. He was well known for his “supersized” watermelons, one in 1998 weighing 98 pounds, exceeding the previous year’s 58-pounder.
Hodges loved life and was a friend to many. He oftentimes was an incessant talker, storyteller and sometimes a prankster. He told his many stories to his children and grandchildren, laughing at his own jokes. His famous line, “to make a long story short,” became the punch line because the story was never short.
Hodges “Bubba” Harmon walked through God’s shining light at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 17, 2021, at Jennings American Legion Hospital.
He departed for his heavenly home to be united with his parents, Lovenia and James Harmon; his brother and sister-in-law, Eugene and Helen Harmon; son-in-law, Lionel Batiste, Jr.; and numerous Harmon, Vital and Dugar ancestors.
Hodges “Bubba” Harmon will live forever in the hearts and memories of his beloved wife, Daisy. He leaves to continue his legacy three daughters, Shiela Harmon Martin of Upper Marlboro, Md., Lynette Batiste of Riverdale, Ga., and Daisette Harmon (Courtney) of New York City; and one son, Luther Harmon (Angela) of Cypress, Texas.
He was blessed with 11 grandchildren, Lionel Ray (Paula), Lyndon (Jessica), Lenneia (Jonathan), Leighton, Takenza, Laurn, Ashley, Courtenay, Shayla, Monique and Niko, as well as 10 great-grandchildren, Kavah, Kellen, Lyndon, Jr., Jackson, Ava, Aria, Bailee, Reese, Kenzo and Nayeem. He also leaves to cherish his memories and special relationships with cousins Betty Brisco, James Harmon, Byron Thibodeaux, Harold Lockett, Sr., and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.