NAVASOTA, Texas – The discovery of a headstone belonging to a Houston hero killed in action during World War I has sparked a nationwide search for his family and relatives.
The headstone belonging to Private Joseph J. Harris was first reported to a local VFW Post in Navasota about a month after it was found on a nearby property by a fellow veteran and antique collector.
James DeGeorge, the senior Vice Commander of Grimes County VFW post 4006, said that after talking to the property’s owner, it turns out the headstone was found 30 years ago in a creek, but no one is quite sure how it got there.
DeGeorge said he and several others have since spent their time searching old newspapers archives trying to learn more about Harris and his family history.
Private Harris died on June 12, 1918.
“We found this guy was from Houston, he enlisted in the Marines. He was sent to France, and he was killed on the last day of the battle of Belleau Wood,” DeGeorge said.
DeGeorge told KPRC 2 he and his fellow veterans, along with the VFW Brenham, discovered that Harris was buried in Brenham with a military-issued veterans headstone purchased in 1950.
What they can’t figure out is why this custom granite headstone was left behind in Navasota.
“It’s our hope that we can return this headstone to his grave in Brenham, but we need to locate an ancestor,” said DeGeorge. “Anytime you try to do anything through the veteran’s graves, that can only be requested by a family member or ancestor.”
DeGeorge found a list of family members, although one of them, Samuel Harris, was also killed in the war three months after Joseph.
Harris did have three surviving brothers named Barry, Moses, and Louis.
“I’m hoping we may be able to find nephews or maybe great nephews if Moses, Barry, or Louis had children and they still have family in the Houston area,” DeGeorge said.
If you are related to Private Joseph J. Harris or believe you know someone who may be, you’re asked to contact VFW post 4006 at 936-825-3666 or email them at Commander@grimescountyVFW4006.org