Dorothy Marie Bernadette Clare Wagner Harper, OFS was welcomed into Jesus's Loving embrace on January 31, 2021. She was a devoted wife, loving mother, humble servant, special sister, loving aunt and Gift from God.  She was born on September 10, 1939 rather unexpectedly.  Her parents, the late Louis and Agnes Morris Wagner, traveled down an old country road to go see her mother's parents, the late Joe and Filomena Morris in Old Sweet Home.  Upon their arrival to her grandparent's house, Dorothy's delivery was imminent.  They called for the doctor to come and make a house call.  Upon her delivery, sadly she did not cry.  The doctor set her tiny blue lifeless body in a shoe box on the old wood stove, as he continued to care for Dorothy's mother.  God's mercy showered down on Dorothy's family that day.  Her grandmother looked over at the baby ready to baptize her and she saw her tiny hand move. She called the doctor over and Dorothy breathed in the Gift of God, life.  The next day they took her to the church and she was officially baptized.

This was just the beginning of many moments of God's mercy or His footprints which blessed Dorothy's life.  When she was five, her mother took her down to the one room schoolhouse in Sweet Home, but she was told she was too young to start school.   Dorothy's eyes filled with tears: she so very badly wanted to start school.  Her mother took her home proceeding to teach her how to read.  By the next year, when school started, Dorothy knew how to read.  In the middle of the school year, she was moved up to 2nd grade.  She continued through 8th grade in Sweet Home. For High School, Dorothy went to St. Joseph Catholic High School in Yoakum, Texas.  As she once said:  "If I hadn't skipped a grade, I might have never met my husband. I wouldn't have been in his class.  It was a match made in heaven though, because all these circumstances allowed us to be together.  Normally, we wouldn't have been.  We came from two different cultures, we had two different backgrounds, and we were different religions as well."

Soon after high school, she married the match made in heaven, the love of her life, Linard Harper.  Together they were blessed with 7 children. With a grace-filled heart she would say, "I always thank God for my wonderful children and all the joy they've brought into my life.  I love to hear them all laugh and am very grateful for them. ...I knew God would take care of us."  As a Catholic Christian parent, she took seriously her role in raising her children in the Catholic Faith.  For the first 20+ years of her adult life she was dedicated to making a home for her family.  After her youngest started kindergarten, she began working outside of the home at St. Joseph Catholic School in Yoakum where she worked for 30+ years as a school secretary, religion teacher and librarian.

After Dorothy lived her Cursillo, a short course in Christianity, she truly lived a life filled with Piety, Study and Action.  She has prayed Hail Marys for many intentions, offered thanksgiving for many blessings and asked the Holy Spirit to guide her.  She shared and learned her faith beside her husband who became a Deacon in the Catholic Church. Together they traveled to many conferences all over Texas and the United States to learn more about their faith.  Together they taught Baptismal classes teaching other parents how to be their children's first catechist.  For over 25 years, she taught CCD and brought Christ and his gospel of good news to many.

Dorothy's life was dedicated to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not so much by preaching but by her example.   On May 2, 1971 at Mission San Jose, she made her profession as a Lay Franciscan realizing that her life "may be the only Bible some of our neighbors will ever see".  She shared her faith by assisting with the ACTS movement, praying the rosary with residents at the nursing home, by crocheting prayer shawls with Hospice, or simply by listening to whomever she encountered.  She truly lived a life filled with JOY-Jesus, Others, Yourself and in that order.  She would joyfully and often break into song and clap to the beat of "This is the Day the Lord has Made"

She is survived by her loving husband, Deacon Linard Ray Harper, their seven children, twenty grandchildren and three great-grandchildren:  Cheryl Harper Flores (Oscar)--sons Stephen, Joey;  Anthony Harper (Joyce)--children Cullen (Hannah), Cavan--son Kase, Emily;  L. Scott Harper (Shelly)--sons Cole (Brooke)--daughter Ellis, Matisen;  Michelle Harper--children Regan, Mason--son Grayson, Briahna;  Tommy Harper (Angela)--children Megan, Luke, Ella, William, Clare;  Renae Harper--daughters Dorothea, Trinity;  Chris Harper (Jennifer)--children Rachel, Nathan, Samuel.  Sisters: Jeanette Tovar (Ernest) and Gayle Pechacek (David). Her nieces:  Petula Workman (Rusty)--children Tanner, Grace; and Brooke Newman (James)--children Hud and Stella.

The family would like to thank Hospice of South Texas for all of their support these last few days of her life; a special thanks to all the family and friends, the community both near and far who have walked with us on this journey through prayers, phone calls, messages, flowers and delicious meals.

Funeral mass (All attendees must wear masks), will be held on Wednesday, 2/3/21 at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Sweet Home Texas at 2:00 pm. Visitation will start at 11:30 am with Rosary at 1:15 pm.  The services will be livestreamed on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/queenofpeacesweethome . Memorials can be given to Queen of Peace Building Fund (online memorial at qpcatholicchurch.com), St. Joseph School Endowment Fund or Hospice of South Texas.