Beatrice Harrison

Bea was born February 27, 1931 in Mineola, Texas to Harvey and Velma Beatrice Skinner. She was one of twelve children and had many fond memories of growing up with her brothers and sisters running wild on the family farm.

Despite falling out of the bed of a pick-up truck at fifteen and catching a bad bout of pneumonia at seventeen, Bea graduated from Mineola High School in 1949.

Shortly after graduation, Bea decided to pack up her small town roots and head to the big city of Houston where she met and married her husband, Wilford Walter “Bill” Harrison. They were blessed with four children: Walter Alan, Debra Lynn, Leslie Diane, and Rena Denise.

Bea wore many hats during her long life. Apart from her early years working on her family farm, she worked at the town’s box factory, as a waitress, and, her longest position, as a cashier at Rice Foods from where she retired. However, her most precious roles were within her family as a loving daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Bea’s hobbies included fan-girling over Conway Twitty, long nights on the penny slots at the casino, western marathons, word search puzzles, sitting on a pier catching fish, and spoiling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bea is survived by her children Debra and Johnnie Castaneda, Leslie and Raul Gutierrez, and Rena Knuckles; her grandchildren Angela Castaneda, Jessica Castaneda-Gill, Francheska Hidalgo, Alex Almaraz, Patsy Gutierrez, Raul Gutierrez, Jr., Kevin Andrew Knuckles, and Brandon Knuckles; and her great-grandchildren Urijah, Sebastian, Ariadne, Olivia, Ian, Abram, and Lillian. She is also survived by her sisters, Mary Kellar and Beatty Savage, and her brother Newton Skinner.

Bea was preceded in death by her mama and daddy, her husband, her loving sisters, Lillian Strickland, Ann Riddle, and Dorothy Newman, and brothers Neil Skinner, Harvey Skinner, Jr., Hebert Skinner, Don Skinner, and Carl Skinner.

Bea will especially be remembered for her tenacity in the face of adversity, her tireless work ethic, and fiery spirit that served to empower everyone she met. Her family will carry in their hearts her strength, courage, kindness, and generosity.

In her words, “Don’t you worry, we’ll be together again someday.”

A funeral service for Beatrice will be held Monday, November 7, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX 77023. A committal service will occur Monday, November 7, 2022 from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX 77023. A visitation will occur Monday, November 7, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX 77023.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ForestParkLawndaleFH.com for the Harrison family.