William Harrison

REV. WILLIAM E. HARRISON

Tupelo ? The Reverend William Eugene ?Bill? Harrison, 81, died Thursday, May 24, 2012, at The North Mississippi Medical Center surrounded by his loving family. He was born January 19, 1931, in Corinth, Mississippi. He was the son of Thomas Solin Harrison and Edna Delaney Harrison. On November 24, 1955, he married Emily June Wells of Jackson, Mississippi. They were married for fifty-six years. He is survived by two children, Emily Harrison Hill (John Samuel) of Tupelo, and Kathryn Harrison Coleman (Kenneth David) of Pebble Beach, California. He is also survived by his sister, Bernice H. Parvin of Starkville, Mississippi and brothers, Gerald M. Harrison (Linda) of Deland, Florida and Dr. Danny E. Harrison (Judy) of Montgomery, Alabama. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Anna Kathryn Sloan (Shipman) of Tupelo, Marilyn Wells Hill of Nashville, Tennessee, John Samuel Hill, Jr. of Tupelo and Harrison Sidney Coleman of Pebble Beach, California, as well as numerous nephews, nieces and cousins. He was preceded in death by a sister, Gratia H. Underwood of Corinth, Mississippi.

Born the middle child of five children in Corinth, Mississippi, he attended public schools, graduating with honors from Corinth High School in 1949. He played leftfield on the State Championship team in 1949. He attended Wood Junior College, Millsaps College and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1955, and then worked as a research assistant at Mississippi State in the Department of Sociology. He received his Masters in Divinity from Emory University Candler School of Theology in 1958. He served as a minister in the North Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church from1951 until his death, preaching his last sermon the Sunday prior to his passing. He served pastorates in Shannon, Itta Bena, Indianola, New Albany and Tupelo, and then beginning in 1983 served as preaching associate on the Okolona Parish until his death, as well as being an agent for the Equitable Financial Company in Tupelo.

During the civil rights era of the 1960?s, he served churches in the Delta region of the state. He was one of the founding members of the Ministerial Association in the Greenwood and Indianola areas. He was also a member of the first bi-racial committee in the city of Tupelo and delivered the sermon of the first community Thanksgiving service. He was also a former board member of United Methodist Senior Services of Mississippi and a member of the Mississippi Conference Board of Evangelism. He was also a member of The Lions Club, serving as president in Indianola.

Pallbearers will be Dr. Steven Parvin, Bob Fuller, Jack Hill, Shipman Sloan, Tom Underwood and John Underwood.

Honorary pallbearers will be fellow United Methodist Ministers and Hardee?s Coffee Bunch.

Services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 26, 2012, at First United Methodist Church in

Tupelo with the Reverend Jim Curtis, Reverend Reagan Miskelly, the Reverend Jimmy Criddle and the Reverend Stacey Parvin Fuller officiating. Burial will follow immediately at Lee Memorial Park. W. E. Pegues Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements.

Visitation will be Saturday, May 26, 2012, at The Gathering Room of the First United Methodist Church in Tupelo from 9:00 a.m. until service time.

The family asks that memorials be given to Ministerial Scholarship Fund Candler School of Theology Emory University, 1531 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, or Helping Hands of First United Methodist Church, P.O Box 854, Tupelo, MS 38804 or a charity of the donor?s choice.