Lanita Duke Harris

I am FINALLY married to my soul mate, David Harris, whom I met at GHS. We were in band and geometry. We discovered that we had led parallel lives, and fell in love and were married March 28, 2012. His family left Gallup for Tucson to buy a kennel before our senior year.
I am most proud of the science degree I received as it helped me to care for my parents and others during their last years. I owned a wholesale produce company in Denver and Albuquerque, I ranched in Corona as a 5th generation land owner, and raised registered black angus cattle, always had a plethora of dogs and some outdoor cats, 9 varieties of pheasants, geese, quail, black swans, white and regular peacocks. Fought a forest fire, and only lost 2 calves to smoke inhalation. I became the State President of a woman’s cattle organization called CowBelles and traveled the state and nation to conventions. I served as the State Regent and on the National Board of the Daughters of the American Revolution. I am an Honorary State Regent of DAR. I served as State President of US Daughters of War of 1812 and Daughters of American Colonist.
I still get out the old baton and twirl on occasion. Going to the Cotton Bowl was a highlight for me.

I enjoyed band and performing at the Cotton Bowl parade. David and I still reminisce about Mr. Holloway and how cold it was in Dallas that morning. David was playing trumpet then and had to use alcohol to keep the valves from freezing. I had frostbite on two fingers. They remained numb for days after the parade and still flare up on occasion.
David was tied for Valedictorian at Saguaro High in Tucson, (edged out by a tenth of a point). He attended University of Arizonza graduating with a degree in electrical engineering. His internship was with a power company (Grants) and he became a lineman. He had his own electrical business and continued his studies at UNM and later in Joplin, Missouri. He spent the bulk of his career in Missouri as an electrical systems engineer for a commercial aluminum window manufacturing facility. He designed machinery and supervised 9 plants across America. He retired early and used his skills as a voluntary paramedic and firefighter, to help people dying from ALS. After 10 years of voluntary work with United Way and ALS foundation, he returned to NM. He has worked as a voluntary firefighter EMT, and paramedic. He played several instruments and performed in several bands through the decades, most notably the Caravan East. Guitar, and drums are his favorite, I think. He saw a Facebook entry of people you may know and it was Lanita Duke. And the rest is history, as they say.