Katharine Harris was the daughter of Ralph Bertram Harris and Rose Loring Lee. She married Wells Fay, son of Frank L. Fay, my husband’s great-grandfather.

Birth

12 Jan 1908 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, USA.

Education

Katharine attended Bradford Academy.

Personal Life

The newspaper clipping is entitled “Casino Starring Kathy Harris” and reads, “Kathy Harris, billed as the “Million Dollar Doll,” heads the cast of burlesque favorites with the new show opening a week’s engagement at the Casino tomorrow. This will be Miss Harris’ first appearance at the Forbes Avenue theater this season. Co-featuring in this week’s show is Deni Monet, a French exotic dancer. Miss Monet is also making her first appearance of the season. Irving Selig and Joey Cowan, a pair of veteran burlesque comediars will handle the comedy end of the show.”

Marriage

She married Wells Fay, son of Frank L. Fay, my husband’s great-grandfather, on September 11, 1929. The couple honeymooned in Europe and was abroad during the stock market crash.

This unidentified and undated newspaper clipping announces the engagement of Katharine and Wells in the spring of 1929. It reads, “Mr. and Mrs. Ralph B. Harris entertained at tea yesterday at 89 Federal street, Salem, to announce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Katharine Harris, to Mr. Wells F. Fay of Greenville, Pa. The fiancee is a graduate of the junior college at Bradford Academy. Mr. Fay is a Harvard ’25 man, who will be graduated this coming June from the law school of the University of Pittsburgh. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Fay of Greenville, and a brother of Miss Florence Fay, who was a roommate of Miss Harris at Bradford Academy.”

Salem Girl Bride of Pittsburgh Lawyer

Salem, Sept 12 –In the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph B. Harris, 89 Federal st last evening, their daughter, Miss Catherine Harris, became the wife of Wells Fay of Pittsburgh, son or Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Fay of Greenville, Penn. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Ralph Atherton Sherwood of the First Baptist Church, and was followed by a reception for 300 at the Salem Country Club.

The bride was attended by a sister, Miss Dorothy Harris, as maid of honor. Another sister, Miss Elinor Harris; the groom’s sister, Miss Florence Fay; Miss Dorothy May of Jamaica Plain, and Miss Margaret Bradley of Winchester made up the bridesmaid group.

James Fay, brother of the groom, was his best man, and the ushers were Davidson Sommers, St Paul, Minn; Howard Taylor Fisher, Chicago; George Ross Leighton, New York; Walter Eugene Beer Jr., New York; Leigh Chadwick, Washington, DC; Joseph C. Burley, Milton, and Joseph Clifton Gray, Brier Neck, NY.

The honeymoon is to be spent in Europe, and after six weeks’ travel Mr. and Mrs. Fay will make their home in Pittsburgh, where the former has a law practice. He is a graduate of Harvard, class of 1926, and of the Pittsburgh University Law School in this year’s class.

The bride is a graduate of Bradford Academy.

The couple returned home from their honeymoon toward the end of October.

Children

Katharine and Wells had 6 children.

Biography

Katharine was asked to write an autobiography for her 25th class reunion, which puts the date around 1953.

Writing a sketch of oneself is a new experience for me and rather boring when all one can boast about is mothering a brood of small fry–not brilliant fry, either, just down-to earth, normal, healthy animals that are kind to their mother, awfully nice ones, though.

Similar to most twenty-fifth reunions, I have a premonition I’m going to be surrounded by lots of talent:- classmates with degrees of various sorts, journalists, authors of best sellers, scientists, social workers, travellers who come back from far-off places and give lectures to club women. If I can only practice: “Fermez ma bouche” (not Bradford French) at the reunion and not have to put in my two cents worth about Elinor, who, by the grace of God, just missed being the class baby–(Ginny McClaren always was two steps ahead of me!) The next best thing I could do was send Elinor to Bradford—now she is assisting the Assistant Dean of the Law School at Yale—after doing a good Job of bringing up five brothers–she helped Jon squeak through Exeter, and is still encouraging him through Brown—mothering Jimmy at Harvard, and giving Michael fight talks on sticking to the job at The Hill School.

Of course, I might just mention the five years Madame Fay, accompanied by maid, irish terrier and brood of four was a camp-follower and saw quite a lot of one fine United States. All we lacked was a station wagon–it was a life of picking up stakes every three months or so and following the man of this household from one Armored Division Camp to another–trying to find adequate housing facilities–new schools for the young–and most of all bargaining for black market tires so we could push on to the next spot. Terry was born in Santa Barbara and Bill soon after we landed back in Pittsburgh and established ourselves in Edgewood–we now run the Fay Motel tor Elinor’s and the boys’ friends from all the various schools and colleges they have attended–just a spot to hang their hats while passing through Pittsburg. The Welcome Mat is always down and the invitation always stands to friends of the parents as well!

Through Miss Bell’s kind invitation, I accepted the job of representing Bradford at the inauguration of Milton Eisenhower as President of Penn State. I became so enamoured with the Eisenhower Clan I came home and joined the Citizens for Eisenhower group. Elinor and I took over Edgewood and worked like dogs to convince the die-hard Taftites that only Eisenhower could win the nomination–Results were very gratifying.

Death

Katharine died on May 16, 1990, in Greenville, PA.

FAY

Katharine Harris, died Wednesday, May 16, 1990 in Greenville, PA. Formerly of 424 Maple Ave., Pittsburgh, PA. Moved to Greenville in 1964. Widow of Attorney Wells Fay. Surviving one daughter, Mrs. Elinor Furst of Wallingford, PA; five sons, Jon Wells Fay, Wallingford, PA, James Harris Fay, Pittsburgh, Michael Fay, Laguna Nigel, CA, Frank W. (Terry) Fay, and William L. Fay, both of Greenville; two sisters, Mrs. Dorothy Ripley, Cohasset, MA, and Mrs. Elinor Lord, Milton, MA; 17 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memorial service 10am Saturday, May 19 at the Westminster Chapel of the First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, with Rev. Dr. Robert E. Funk officiating. Burial in Shenango Valley Cemetery, Greenville. If so desired, contributions may be made to the Greenville Public Library, Greenville, PA 16125. Arrangements by Loutzen-Hiser-Jordan Funeral Home, 366-386 S. Main St., Greenville.