SLS 201ES-47 ORIGINAL
2020 First Extraordinary Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 9
BY SENATOR JOHNS
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences upon the death of Morgan Samuel "Mike"
Harmison IV.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 death of Morgan Samuel "Mike" Harmison IV.
4 WHEREAS, known to everyone as "Mike," Morgan Samuel Harmison IV departed
5 this life in the early morning hours of January 30, 2020; and
6 WHEREAS, he was born on December 3, 1941, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and
7 attended Ysleta High School in El Paso, Texas, where he was the starting quarterback on the
8 football team and voted "Mr. Brave" (the school mascot was the Braves) his senior year; and
9 WHEREAS, after college, Mike served as a corpsman in the United States Navy,
10 from which he was honorably discharged; and
11 WHEREAS, his career brought him to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he remained
12 the rest of his life; his first job in Lake Charles involved working in collections for a finance
13 company and he then moved into banking, starting his career at Lakeside National Bank in
14 1966; and
15 WHEREAS, his winning personality and banking talent earned him numerous
16 promotions over the succeeding years and at the time Lakeside National Bank was purchased
17 by another institution in 1989, Mike had risen to Senior Lending Officer; and
18 WHEREAS, he then became part of a management team that joined Cameron State
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1 Bank and worked there for more than twenty years, rising to the rank of Executive Vice
2 President and Senior Lending Officer; and
3 WHEREAS, with the team headed by President Roy Raftery, they grew Cameron
4 State Bank from a small institution to a $700 million bank at the time it was purchased by
5 Iberia Bank in 2011; and
6 WHEREAS, Mike was then recruited to join Lakeside Bank, which was the only
7 bank in the entire United States granted a de novo charter for a three-year period at the time;
8 shortly after coming to Lakeside Bank, he was asked to become president and CEO and he
9 quickly grew Lakeside to the point where its assets exceeded $200 million; and
10 WHEREAS, Mike was universally respected in the banking community; he was a
11 favorite confidante of numerous bankers across the state, as well as business clients; he was
12 also unfailingly cheerful and friendly, and his knowledge of banking was encyclopedic; and
13 WHEREAS, respect for him throughout the region earned him an invitation to
14 become a director for Lake Area Medical Center, now part of the Ochsner Hospital System;
15 and
16 WHEREAS, he was an avid hunter and fisherman, owning a boat named The Gin
17 Fin, and he and his crew were voted the Outstanding Boat in the SWLA Fishing Club
18 tournament in 1997-1998; and
19 WHEREAS, Mike also was a devoted golfer and although, he would be the first to
20 admit that he never mastered the game, he loved his time on the golf course with his buddies
21 and with his wife; he also fulfilled every golfer's dream when he was able to play the
22 venerable Augusta National Golf Club; and
23 WHEREAS, while Mike may not have mastered golf, he was a "whiz" at crossword
24 puzzles; many tried, but no one ever topped him; and part of that was no doubt attributable
25 to his voracious appetite for books, as he read at least one or two a week, and his intellectual
26 curiosity was wide-ranging; and
27 WHEREAS, Mike was also a man of deep faith in God; he read the Bible daily, and
28 he put its lessons to use in his daily actions; he never preached, but instead, inspired those
29 around him by his Christian example; and
30 WHEREAS, he truly "walked the walk" and even as his health began to fail, he led
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1 a weekly Bible study group at his home; and
2 WHEREAS, Mike met the love of his life, Jo Ann Menges, at their 55th high school
3 reunion in El Paso; they had known each other casually in high school and while Mike was
4 the star quarterback, she was voted "most beautiful"; and
5 WHEREAS, when they began communicating again after all those years, sparks flew
6 and within six months, they were married; and
7 WHEREAS, those who knew Mike well never saw him so happy; he not only dearly
8 loved his wife, but he dearly loved his adopted family, consisting of her children and
9 grandchildren; and
10 WHEREAS, Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Morgan "Sam" Samuel
11 Harmison III and Jane Stepp Harmison; and his brother, Marc Steven Harmison; and
12 WHEREAS, he is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Menges Harmison; their two
13 daughters, Rae Ann Barnes and Amy Smith; grandchildren, Sabrina Morgan Barnes, Forrest
14 Dean Barnes, Tory Anne Yeldell, Weston Greer Yeldell and wife Jolie Yeldell, Mason Ray
15 Yeldell, and Ethan David Escamilla; and great-grandson Weston Greer Yeldell Jr.; and
16 WHEREAS, the strength of our communities and the overall vitality of American
17 society depend, in great measure, upon the dedication of men like Morgan Samuel "Mike"
18 Harmison IV who use their considerable talents and resources to benefit future generations,
19 and he will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
20 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
21 does hereby express sincere condolences upon the death of Morgan Samuel "Mike"
22 Harmison IV, does hereby record for posterity his singular contributions and outstanding
23 achievements, and does hereby recognize the enduring appreciation for the pride and honor
24 that this fine gentleman brought to the state of Louisiana and the United States of America.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to his
26 wife, Jo Ann Menges Harmison.
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 9 Original 2020 First Extraordinary Session Johns
Expresses condolences upon the death of Morgan Samuel "Mike" Harmison IV.
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