Doris Jean McCann was born December 24, 1928 in Silerton, Hardeman County, Tennessee. She was the second child born to James Stacy McCann and Annie Graple Rush. Growing up in the closeknit community among friends and extended family gave Doris the values and skills of hardwork, fortitude, and determination.
Doris is fondly remembered for her Southern charm, quick wit and storytelling. She was a woman of strength and courage. She will be missed and lovingly remembered.
Doris is preceded in death by her parents James Stacy McCann and Annie Graple Rush; her sisters Hugholene McCann Faust, Fetty Mae McCann, Jimmie Ann McCann Murley; her husband Raymond Erwin, and her son Rentz Conway Erwin. She is survived by her son Hugh Harris (Deborah Finnerty) of Florida and daughter Kathi Harris Pull (David Pull) of St. Louis; grandson Matthew Harris (Ashly) of Florida; and great granddaughter Harper Wren Harris of Florida.
SERVICES: Visitation at Kutis Affton Chapel (10151 Gravois Road Affton, Missouri 63123) 0n Friday, March 21, 4:00 p.m. until funeral service at 6:00 p.m. Interment at Sunset Memorial Park on Saturday, March 22, 9:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
I did not know Doris but I felt like I knew her from family conversations. May she rest in peace. I’m sending my condolences to Doris’s family and friends.
God bless Mom Doris and all your family with comfort as you say goodbye. For thirty years I enjoyed the special bond only grandmas can share, what a special blessing for each of us. Happy memories will brighten the sad days ahead. Sending love and hugs to all my St. Louis kids. xoxo
Mike is sending condolences as he remembers how wonderful Mom Doris was to him all those years that we shared as family. She made him very happy by always sending birthday cards or even Christmas cards with money for him. He looked forward to that every birthday & Christmas. Mom Doris blessed Mikes’ life with her thoughtfulness, knowing she went out of her way to make him happy. He looked forward to those cards and gifts, the gift Mom Doris gave him with love, and he loved her back. Mike shares your grief and sadness. He fondly recalls our visit many years ago to St. Louis where she welcomed us into her home, shelter and food for the night, a very happy memory.
A favorite memory for Mike and I is Mom Doris’ love of fruitcake, one of her favorite Christmas gifts. For as many years as I can recall it was it was our tradition, Mom Katie baked them, Mom Doris loved them. A fun memory to share and bring a smile to her dear family.
Fannings Farm Fruitcake
A great Finnerty favorite for over 40 years, given to me by Aunt Cathy.
Christmas gift for Tom, Mike, Dave, Bob, Mom Doris
Cook 5 min. 1 lb raisins
1½ c. water
1½ c. sugar
Add: ¼ c. oleo or butter
Cool
Sift: 2½ c. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
1/3 tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. salt (or less) (original called for ½ tsp)
Add: ½ c. chopped nuts (I use pecans & a small amt. of black walnuts which give it a very good flavor. I always use more, about ¾ c. nuts)
12 oz. glaced fruits
Beat 2 eggs until light & add to cooled raisin mixture.
Beat in dry ingredients & mix thoroughly.
Add 1 tsp. lemon extract.
Bake in 8 in. tube pan 1½ hrs at 325 degrees or in 2 loaf pans for about 1 hr. & 10 min.
(Put heavy brown paper on bottom of pan) or parchment paper
I place waxed paper on that to fit the pans and put batter into that. Cakes lift out easily and are partially wrapped in wax paper. Hardly any clean-up.
Katie’s Tips:
To make 8 loaf size gifts I buy:
3 1 lb. containers of Extra Fancy Fruit Cake Mix dried fruits
4 lbs raisins
Making the recipe 4 times yields the 8 loaf pans. Using 3 containers of dried fruit gives the exact amt needed for 4 recipes.
Buying 2 packages of 1/3 c. size black walnuts gives the right amount for 4 recipes.
Sometimes I add the lemon extract to the raisin liquid mixture which makes it easier to blend with all ingredients.
12/06
Mom was born on Christmas Eve in 1928 in Silerton, a small farming community in West Tennessee. She was the second child born to James Stacy McCann and Annie Graple Rush. She was raised by a strong extended family. She spent lots of time with her sisters, Hugholene and Jimmie Ann and her cousin Earl Rush. She also thoroughly enjoyed being with her BFF Wiladean Hankins. She maintained close, lifelong relationships with her relatives and the community. Mom and our family attended the annual ‘3rd Sunday in May’, also known as Decoration Day.
Mom showed great courage in moving herself and Kathi and I to St. Louis in 1957. Her sister Jimmie Ann and her brother-in-law Russell were already in St. Louis. They help locate an apartment and get us settled. When our cousins Charlotte and Tommy were born we would visit and enjoy our playtime with them.
Mom worked at McDonnel Aircraft Corporation. The skills she learned in business college and a strong desire to succeed lead to a successful 25-year career. While at work she met the man who became our dad, Raymond Erwin. He was tall and from Texas. On his first request for a date, he received a firm, ”NO”, but he was persistent and she later agreed. They were married on Valentine’s Day at Shaw Church in 1963. The birth of their son Rentz Conway Erwin was a precious gift to the family and filled our home with love. Rentz passed from pediatric cancer in 1966. Our parents demonstrated their strength as they recovered from their loss. Mom returned to work and Raymond made a successful change to welding equipment sales and later to real estate. After many years of hard work and fortitude, Ray and Mom accomplished their goal of building their own home.
Through the years, their small family grew. Hugh married Debbie in 1992. Their son was born in 1994. Doris’s perfect grandson (in eyes and heart), Matthew Raymond was named for Raymond who passed away in 1993.
Becoming a first-time grandmother was an honor shared with Debbie’s mother Katie.
In 1996 Kathi met David Pull, a fellow Boeing employee. They married in April 1997. Their extended family, Dave’s mom Anneliese, brother Heino, and sister-in-law Janna, shared many years of holiday celebrations and friendships.
In 2019, her cherished grandson Matthew married Ashly. A year later, their daughter Harper Wren Harris was born and replaced Matthew on the top rung on the ladder.
Mom was deeply grateful to Kathi and David for the many years of unwavering love, dedication and devotion that made it possible for her to stay in her own home until the age of 94. As her care required more assistance, their commitment to her never faltered. They searched for and found the perfect place for her. A place she came to think of as home, filled with the gift of friendship and an amazing staff that cared for her like family. That place was Sunrise Senior Center in Des Peres.
Last week, as Mom was brought back to her place from the hospital, she indicated she was ‘home’. In her final hours, Mom received visits from the staff who gently soothed her and made her comfortable. They and her friends cried with us and cared for us as they had Mom during her time with them. After her passing, as she left the center for the last time, they lined her way in an ‘Angel Walk’. A precious and loving act to Mom, her family, and all her center ‘family’ who would miss her dearly.
Our family would like to express gratitude to all those who provided such loving care to our Mom and their kindness to us.
Dave and Kathi, thank you for your dedication to our mother.
Thanks to all of you for being with us.
You know how you and a cohort might get into a situation that you end up promising never to tell anyone until you die?
Well, it’s time to confess – although we may have told on ourselves immediately as neither of us were good at hiding the truth.
Mom Doris and I love to go grave hopping whenever we were in Tennessee. She would show me where ancestors were buried and provide entire histories of their lives, the cemetery, the people they knew, and general life during their time.
Unfortunately, I could not remember everything Mom said, nor could I write fast enough to keep up. I really needed to carry a tape recorder with me at all times.
Well, on this particular trip (one of my first times to Silerton) Mom wanted to show me the original Fawcett cemetery, that was somewhere in the woods on the side of a small dirt road. Neither Hugh or Kathi wanted to go on this rather hot and muggy day, so Mom and I decided to go on our own, much to their dismay. I think they recognized our potential to get lost. But Mom and I were confident we could find it or at least it would be fun to try.
So, off we went. I in my jeans and Mom nicely dressed as she always was – not a jeans girl.
It had been many, many years since Mom had been to the Fawcett Cemetery, but these were the stomping grounds of her youth and as we all know, Mom remembered everything. How could anything go wrong?
When we turned onto the dirt road Mom believed the cemetery to be on. It was as she said in the middle of the woods. We soon realized the rain had created very deep mud and was filled with unavoidable ruts.
As you have probably guessed, we got stuck. We thought about walking out, but it was too far to walk back and ahead was the curve to who knows where – deeper into the woods? Mom expressed it could be months before anyone would find us, so the only option was to get the car out.
We proceeded to pull and break branches off bushes to stuff under the tire to provide a little traction. As soon as we thought we had enough, I started rocking the car back and forth while Mom stood by the back tire to monitor our progress.
The first attempt didn’t work, so we packed more branches and tried again. The tire was almost out, but struggling. All of a sudden Mom yelled, “Just Gun It!” And I did. We were out!
Mom, who was splattered with mud, and I cheered and laughed till we hurt.
Once recovered for laughter, we made our way to the curve, knowing there was no way to turn the car around. As we slipped and weaved our way through pot holes and ruts. And, were delighted as we round the corner onto a somewhat gravel road.
We made it!
Oh, in case you’re wondering, we did find the Fawcett’s – on a nice paved road.
I did her nails and toes for years wish I would have been told of her passing but what I remember most of her was her stories and she was so funny. She also had a unique way of saying pretty which I loved to her here say. Will always remember her, she was one of my favorites.