A legacy of service

At the 30th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King celebration last week, city officials paid tribute to a lifelong resident of Hopkins County who set a standard for her family and lived a life “of extraordinary distinction.”

Jimmie Lurleene Harrison passed away at her home in Sulphur Springs on Monday, Dec. 16, leaving behind a large family who grieve her loss but who will never forget the life lessons she taught them. She was 96 years old, and family members described her humility, class and the lasting lessons she taught her family.

The city’s resolution, read by Rev. Harold Nash Sr. at the MLK celebration, described Harrison as “follow[ing] in the footsteps of the righteous always seeking faithfully to attend to God’s most urgent admonition to seek justice in all circumstances and care for the education of multiple generations of our people, freely [giving] of her time and energy as a teacher and a faithful member of the community. While our community mourns, [her] generous spirit and kindness will always inspire future generations.”

Harrison’s family stood, arms around each other, in front of Nash has he read. Afterward, he presented each family member with an official copy of the resolution.

“She set an example that spoke for itself,” said grandson Lewis Harrison III. “She didn’t have to say it. The way she carried herself and the respect my granddaddy showed her [said everything]. She was very precise. She wanted you to be well-disciplined around her, especially with your dress code — no saggy pants. She was the type of lady who was an example of class, of what to look for in a woman. She was outgoing and a good Christian lady. And she was always on time.”

Harrison graduated class valedictorian at Douglas High School at age 16 in 1939 and attended Jarvis Christian College on a basketball scholarship. She earned a bachelor’s degree with double major in English and French and went straight into education after graduating college. Harrison was teaching high school at age 21, returning to her alma mater, where she also coached girls’ track and basketball. She taught at Douglas Elementary, and, after segregation ended, at Lamar Elementary. Harrison retired in 1984 after 40 years as a teacher.

“She always knew she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” said daughter Patricia Cooper. “She loved teaching, and she did everything she could for others. She used to bring ‘care packages’ to students if they didn’t have personal items at home. If a student’s family didn’t have water at home, she’d pay their water bill.”

“She was the glue of our family,” said great-granddaughter Maya DeBase. “She never talked about herself. I didn’t know she coached basketball until she passed, and I played basketball.”

Harrison’s Sunday tradition was to cook a pot of red beans, which she served at lunch with made-fromscratch cornbread and huge helpings of love.

“I always think of her at the table,” DeBase said.

Cooper said her mother’s philosophy was simple: Can’t is not an option.

“Negativity had no place in her vocabulary. None. And she taught us to share what God has blessed you with. She taught us how to love people and to walk humbly before our God,” she said.

Cooper recalled how her mother read Bible stories to her and her brothers and sisters every morning in the summer.

Four of Harrison’s grandchildren earned college degrees.

“She made sure we took care of business in school,” her grandson, Lewis, said. “I went back to college in 2011 and graduated in 2014. Just to see the smile on her face was a big example for me to be an influence on my kids.”

Harrison said he’s extremely grateful to have learned valuable life lessons from his grandparents, lessons he uses daily.

“They taught us all to have the ability to adapt, to not be judgmental, get to know a person first, regardless of race or color. She was big on that,” he said.

Harrison’s most important lesson for her large family is to “love each other no matter what,” DeBase said. “I just remember her love — she loved everyone, and I’m grateful she was my granny.”

Harrison was a lifelong member of the East Caney Baptist Church and rarely missed a service.

Her pastor, Rev. LaVelle Hendricks, said, “Mother Jimmie Harrison epitomized faithfulness and commitment to God’s work. Her legacy lives on through the many lives she touched. She loved doing God’s work and found the classroom as a platform to instill the principles of service, academic excellence and care for each other.”

Hendricks announced at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King celebration the creation of a scholarship in Harrison’s name through Hopkins County African American Leadership Conference. It will be open to qualifying Hopkins County high school students who will be attending Texas A&M University-Commerce to honor Harrison’s dedication to educating local youth over the course of her teaching career.

— Managing Editor Jillian Smith contributed to this report.