Beth Harris grew up in Cary and went to Enloe High School in Raleigh. She was studying for a degree in music education at UNCG.
Many who knew her said she was always smiling and encouraging her classmates.
“When I came to college she was the one who kind of showed me around campus,” said Morgan McDowell, a junior at Appalachian University. McDowell and Harris went to middle and high school together in Raleigh. At Martin middle school they were in The Music Man, the Sound of Music, and chorus class together.
“She was just a very deep thinker. Just the kind of questions she asked or the kind of answers she’d give, you could just tell how she put things together,” said McDowell.
“I was actually gonna come see her this weekend and then John [Harden, who dated Harris in high school, according to McDowell] called me and told me she was dead.”
“[Harden] kind of called Beth his high school sweetheart,” said McDowell. “They dated off and on for a while.”
“When John called I didn’t know what to say to him,” said McDowell. “All I could say was ‘Oh my God, Oh my God,’ over and over again.”
McDowell said she found life without her friend difficult.
“You know how it is when they live in a different town from you, but you know they’re always there,” said McDowell. Then when they’re not you don’t know what to do.”
