Corene Evelyn Harrell

Corene Evelyn Harrell died peacefully on Monday, May 25, 2026, in Norman, Oklahoma, at the age of 99 years and nine months. She had been looking forward to celebrating her 100th birthday with family and friends.

Corene was born August 17, 1926, on a farm near Lindsay, Oklahoma, to Emmett Iowa Smith and Ethel Neola Bell (Ince) Smith, the youngest of three siblings. Corene married Luther Cain Harrell, Jr., on November 3, 1951, at her parents’ home in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. They made their home in Oklahoma City, where Luther worked in banking and Corene was a full-time homemaker. They raised two daughters, Suzanne and Nancy Kay. Corene was an expert seamstress and made beautiful clothes for her daughters as well as outfits for church and formal wear for special occasions. She and her husband were avid golfers and regular bridge players, and she always responded when there was a need for a homeroom mother or a Brownie and Girl Scout leader.

A meticulous genealogist, Corene loved the research and history of the many family members she documented and kept detailed records in her collection of three-ring binders. An avid reader from a young age, this joy continued even as her eyesight began to fade in later years and she began reading audiobooks from the Oklahoma Library for the Blind. She started walking at Sooner Mall in July 2020 and walked 3-4 mornings a week. She loved visiting with the other walkers and being honored on her birthdays. She always thought it was funny when someone would tell her she was an “inspiration“ to them, but she was a role model to her daughters and many others.

Corene was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ, with membership at Westside Church of Christ in Norman at the time of her death.

Corene is survived by her daughters, Suzanne Harrell of Norman, Oklahoma, and Nancy Kay Grist (Scott) of Cleveland, Georgia; grandson Austin Scott Grist of Cleveland, Georgia; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her sister Irene Baile, and her brother Leroy Smith.

Her ashes will be interred next to her husband in Resthaven Cemetery in Oklahoma City at a later date.