Mabel Theora Harris was born on 9. Aug. 1904 at Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas. She was the daughter of
Rolland Austin Harris and
Iva Theora Worden. Mabel Theora Harris married
Joseph N. Malm on 14. Feb. 1924 at Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas; 4 children. Mabel Theora Harris died on 22. Jul. 1994 at Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, at age 89. OBIT - source unknown---Mabel Theora Malm
Bom 8/9/1904 in Topeka. She became deaf after several tonsil surgeries that resulted in damage to her eardrums. She was enrolled in the Olathe School for the Deaf and lived there during her school year, returning to Topeka for the summers. She read lips extremely well and signed to her husband, Joe, her children, and her friends and was very active in the Topeka Deaf Club where she was the organization's first woman president. She married Joseph N Malm, whom she met at Olathe School for the Deaf on February 14,1924 in Topeka. He was also deaf and it was our memories that he became deaf because his mother was struck by lightening when she was pregnant with him. Theora died 7/22/1994 in Topeka. She was 89 at the time of her death.
OBIT source --The Topeka Capital-Journal. Saturday. July 23, 1994
THEORA MALM
Theora Malm, 89, Topeka. died Friday, July 22, 1994, at a Topeka nursing home. She was born Aug. 9, 1904, in Topeka, the daughter of Rollin-Gene and Iva Harris. She was a lifelong Topeka resident. Mrs. Malm was a member of the Topeka Deaf Club and the Kansas Association for the Deaf, where she was the organization's first woman president. She was married to Joseph N. Malm on Feb. 14, 1924, in Topeka. He died May 15, 1981. She also was preceded in death by two sons, Joseph Malm Jr. and Robert Malm.
Survivors include a son, I.L. "Swede" Malm, Overland Park; a brother, Gerald Harris, Topeka; a sister, Thelma Ramberg, in California: five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Graveside services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Memorial Park Cemetery. Mrs. Malm will lie in state after 8 a.m. today at Newcomer-Diffenderfer Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Aldersgate Village, 7220 S.W. Asbury Drive, Topeka, 66614. She was buried on 25. Jul. 1994 at Memorial Park Cemetery, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas.