At 3:30 a.m. on July 4, 2025, Blair and Brooke Harber texted one final message to their parents.
“I love you,” they wrote.
Soon afterward, 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke were swept away by the Guadalupe River. Their grandparents, who had been staying in the girls’ cabin, were also lost in the disaster.
Though their lives were cut short, the girls’ parents, Annie and RJ, are working to ensure that their memory continues to inspire and uplift others.
“Our girls were such treasured and special girls that we want to make sure we share them with the world in perpetuity,” RJ said. “In 13 and 11 years, they changed more lives than most people do in a lifetime. We felt it was our duty to continue to honor their legacy of love and hope.”
Both Blair and Brooke held firmly to their Catholic faith throughout their lives. They volunteered as altar servers at St. Rita Catholic Community. Blair’s favorite prayer was the Rosary, which she prayed nightly. She had borrowed her father’s Rosary beads for the family’s trip after her own broke.
Blair was an excellent student, altar server, baker, and chef. She was sweet, kind, loving, compassionate, and committed to her family, friends, and faith.
Her little sister, Brooke, was a ball of pure energy and joy. She was a star athlete and competitor, who tackled each challenge with determination and strength. A friend to all, she drew people together through her playful spirit and ability to brighten any room with laughter.
Both girls were deeply loved by their family and community. “I don’t think St. Rita has ever seen anything like their funeral,” RJ remembered of the crowd that gathered to honor his daughters.
Annie and RJ have established The Blair and Brooke Harber Beloved Sisters Fund at The Catholic Foundation to memorialize both their daughters and RJ’s parents, Charlene and Mike.
Contributions to the Beloved Sisters Fund support flood and disaster relief; Catholic primary school education, sports, and after school programs; a tuition assistance endowment for St. Rita Catholic School; and Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville.
One mission close to the Harber family’s heart is sharing their daughters’ love of lacrosse.
The Harber family has secured hundreds of donated sticks and goggles for girls who would otherwise need to purchase equipment to experience the sport. In February, more than 200 girls played the game for the first time at the Sister Sister Community Lacrosse Clinic. The event’s proceeds were gifted to The Blair and Brooke Harber Beloved Sisters Fund at The Catholic Foundation.
“Through our girls’ passion, we’re able to share this sport and introduce this sport to a whole new generation,” RJ said. “These girls will carry our girls in their hearts moving forward.”
In the year since the July 4 flooding, Annie and RJ have leaned on each other and been blessed to have the support of the Catholic community, friends, and family.
“It is our faith, and our belief,” RJ said, “that we will be reunited with them again one day.”
For more information, visit The Blair and Brooke Harber Beloved Sisters Fund at blairandbrooke.org.
Editor’s Note: Much of this article was condensed with permission from a profile that appeared in the Fall 2025 edition of The Good Word from The Catholic Foundation. That entire story can be found by visiting catholicfoundation.com and viewing publications listed in the About Us section of the drop-down menu.
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