Ada Y. Harris
MORRIS — Ada, born Adah Yvonne, passed away on Oct. 20, 2002, at the
Harding Nursing Home in Waterville, where she was staying for
rehabilitation. Since it seemed that her problem was only a broken ankle
that was stubborn in mending, the abrupt onset of breathing problems,
and her death several days later, took everyone, including Ada, by
surprise.
A general public announcement of her death was withheld by her trustees
for a protracted time in order to protect the antique shop/home
premises, containing her lifetime's work, left uninhabited and
vulnerable.
Ada was born Jan. 18, 1915, youngest child of William Henry Harris and Winifred Yates Harris of Morris.
She graduated from Morris High School, and then, in 1937, from Oneonta
Normal School, teaching school just briefly. In 1938 she opened her
first antique shop, Brookside Antiques of Morris. Her career in antiques
was interrupted for only a couple of years, during World War II, when
she labored at the Bendix defense plant in Sidney.
In 1948, after the death of her beloved mother, Winifred, she sold
Brookside and moved to a farm outside of West Winfield, where she opened
another antique shop, dedicated to "country antiques in the rough."
There she remained until just a month before her death, removed from her
family, leading a semi-reclusive life.
Ada did, however, remain in spirited lifelong correspondence with
certain friends and cousins, while cultivating good new friends among
her neighbors, business clientele, and fellow antique dealers.
And she became one of the best-known antique dealers and experts in New
York state, while also being known as a "real character" with decidedly
eccentric ways. It seems that everyone, among neighbors, clientele and
fellow dealers, has a favorite "Ada story."
She was a night person, working into the wee hours then sleeping late.
She vociferously resented anyone who rang her bell before noon, and,
even during permitted hours, you didn't get in her front door unless she
liked the looks of you or you talked the talk that was on her
wavelength. And very few people were ever admitted to her
inner-sanctums, where she kept the stuff that meant the most to her. In
many ways, to most people, Ada was a woman of mystery. The quote under
Ada's picture in her high school yearbook is "I just want to be left
alone." Basically she arranged her life to achieve that aim. Yet she
also managed to reach out to many who will never forget her, who will
always miss her salt-and-peppery self.
Ada was proud of her Yates family heritage, and preservation of that
family history was one of her chief concerns. Her great-grandfather was
Dr. William Yates, baronet, born in 1767 to the manor of Sapperton,
Burton-on-Trent, England — cousin to Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel and
to the philanthropist John Howard. Having been on the staff of ancient
St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, and a colleague of Dr. Jenner's,
the originator of the smallpox vaccine, Dr. Yates, of a philanthropic
bent himself, was the first to bring the smallpox vaccine to America, to
Philadelphia in 1799. It is possible that it was Dr. Yates who
personally administered the vaccine to ex-President John Adams, who did
receive a vaccination on one of his trips through Philadelphia.
Whilst in Philadelphia, Dr. Yates struck up a friendship with Judge
Cooper, founder of Cooperstown and father of James Fenimore Cooper. Dr.
Yates accompanied Cooper up the Susquehanna with an eye to purchasing
property. In Morris, then called Butternuts, Dr. Yates became captivated
by a tall, lovely blonde, the daughter of prominent settlers, Ichabod
B. Palmer and his wife, Mary Wakelee, lately of Brookfield, Conn.
Dr. Yates and Hannah Palmer were married and, in 1801, he took his bride
back to England where she was presented to King George III's queen,
Charlotte. During the bridal couple's year in England, the doctor
devolved the manor of Sapperton and his baronetcy in favor of his
younger brother Harry, settled his financial affairs and, in 1802,
returned to Butternuts, there to live the life of a gentleman farmer and
doctor to all who needed help, with no fees charged — becoming the
patriarch of a large, exceptionally well-educated family.
In late February of 1857, when summoned to attend a patient on a remote
farm, the still vigorous Dr. Yates, just short of his 90th birthday,
rode out into sub-zero weather. On his return home he found that one of
his feet was frozen. He remarked to Hannah that most likely gangrene
would set in and kill him. It did.
Ada was a farm girl, and throughout her life she practiced that farm
heritage, sometimes raising farm animals, always growing, canning,
preserving and drying much of her own food. But she also inherited a
profound respect for, and concern for, history — of her family but also
of colonial and 19th Century New York country society in general. She
dedicated her life to studying, collecting and preserving colonial and
rural 19th Century artifacts: art work, household utensils, agricultural
and architectural items — excited always with the history behind any
object, rather than by its condition.
A special study was that of antique wallpaper, and one wallpaper company
specializing in reproductions honored her when they reproduced an
ancient wallpaper that she had rescued from oblivion. They named their
reproduction the "Ada Harris." Ada was always eager to teach any, who
were willing to sit and listen as she imparted her knowledge of New York
State rural history.
With her death we lost one of our most knowledgeable experts in that
regard. How sad that we only, just now, begin to realize that fact. But
the world of antiques and history can be thankful that Ada cared enough
to recognize the importance of "everyday" items, to collect them and to
preserve them — thousands upon thousands of items which would simply
have been tossed, and so lost — but which now are being treasured by
those with the smarts to appreciate their historical and societal
importance.
Aside from her passion for history — family and societal — and for
antiques and gardens, Ada was passionate in regard to issues of
environment and conservation. She prided herself that her household
produced only one small bag of trash a month. All else was in some way
reused. Ada even dried and reused paper towels.
Then, very importantly, there were her animals. For close to 60 years
Ada's closest friends and companions, those beings in whom she was able
to place absolute trust and affection, were not people — for, beginning
in childhood, people, sometimes those closest to her, traumatized,
wounded, confused, or alienated her, and she was hesitant to trust and
to love. It was to the dogs and cats who shared her home that she was
able to give unqualified trust and affection, and receive trust and
affection in return. On their behalf she developed an active interest in
ending the abuse of, and promoting the humane treatment of, all
animals.
Those few of us in whom she did finally place her trust — trusting us to
see that her wishes are carried out, that certain collections are
passed on and preserved as a heritage for all, and that her hard-earned
funds go to furthering the work and passions of her lifetime — are aware
of the honor done to us. We will not fail her.
Ada desired that all that she had worked for would go to organizations
which she carefully researched and selected, which organizations would
preserve her goods and use them to inform, instruct and educate the
public, while using her funds for the furtherance of those causes to
which she was passionately devoted.
Those desiring to make contributions in her memory may consider any of
these, her four beneficiaries. The New York State Historical Association
(Cooperstown), the New England Historical and Genealogical Society
(Boston), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(NYC), or Spring Farm CARES Animal Sanctuary (Clinton).
Ada was predeceased by her "Papa," William, who died after an auto
accident in 1923, by her mother, Winifred, and her siblings, Collis
Paschal Harris, Erie Corinne Colvin, Avis Lorraine Paden and Winston
Harris.
She is survived by nieces, Rosalie Smith and Winifred Talbot; nephews,
William and Winston Harris, by numerous cousins; by caring friends who
sorely miss the irreplaceable Ada and who wish that she was still around
to teach us and to entertain us; and by her cherished dog.
As per Ada's wishes, her ashes will be interred in the grave of her
beloved mother, Winifred Yates Harris, whose grave is in the Yates plot
at Hillington Cemetery, Morris. The service for the extraordinary Ada
will be at that graveside at 1 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2003, overseen by
Johnston Funeral Home of Morris, and conducted by Father Witt of Zion
Episcopal Church of Morris, a church which Dr. William Yates and his
family were instrumental in organizing and building. At 3:30 p.m., Ada's
friends and neighbors are invited to her home, 9869 Route 20, 2 miles
West of West Winfield, 1/2 mile east of Bridgewater, corner Route 20 and
East Street, for a party to celebrate the life of Ada and to trade fond
memories of our gal.
Published in The Daily Star on Nov. 4, 2003.
Find A Grave Memorial for Ada Yvonne Harris 1915-2003
