Bessie Mae Harrison

Services for Bessie Mae Harrison, 97, of Lufkin, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 6, 2017 in the Gipson Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Randy Brown officiating. Interment services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Thursday in the Holly Grove Cemetery in Livingston.

Mrs. Harrison was born to Leona (Mayfield) and William Hill on August 5, 1919 in Troup, Texas, the 8th of 9 children. She passed away Sunday, April 2, 2017 at Castle Pines Health & Rehabilitation Center.

She lived in Troup until her late teens, when she moved to Houston to find work. In April 1939, she met Donnie Louis Harrison, and they were married later that year in Beaumont, Texas, where they resided for a time. They had three sons and lived and worked in Beaumont, Corpus Christi and Houston, then Anahuac for a number of years where she operated a small store. In 1959, they moved to Votaw, Texas, the old Harrison homestead, where she operated another store and where they operated a small lumber mill for many years. In 1993, they moved to Lufkin, Texas to be closer to medical care. Mr. Harrison passed away in 2000. Bess continued to live in the home independently until August 2016 and then resided at Castle Pines until her passing.

Bess was always a hard worker and a country woman who enjoyed hunting and the outdoors, riding a 3-wheeler in the woods where she could shoot and hunt with the best of them, and knew the woods better than most men. She had many stories to tell of her escapades as a young woman, and, truth be told, I suspect she was quite a wild character as a young woman! Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren enjoyed hearing the stories of her early life. Her longevity and good memory made her the historian of the family, and we all took advantage of her memory to learn of the family roots and the family history. After moving to Lufkin, she took up bowling at the age of 85, and bowled on a senior league for many years. She enjoyed visiting with friends and family, and was always welcoming to all who came to her door.

Bess was a Christian woman, a member of Southside Baptist Church in Lufkin, Texas and had a deep faith in God, and was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She was active in the community wherever she lived, well thought of by her many friends and neighbors. The family would like to especially thank her friend and neighbor Betty Crane for being so caring and helpful.

She is survived by two sons, Edwin Jack Harrison and his wife Pat of Jasper, Texas and Perry Louis Harrison of Crosby, Texas; daughter-in-law, Jan Harrison of Huntington, Texas; eight grandchildren, Linda Tinsley of Huntington, Donnie (Bud) and Beverly Harrison of Huntington, Melinda and Preston Brown, Rhonda Behnken and Stacy Sicinski of Houston, Jerald and Erin Harrison of Canyon Lake, Tammy and Larry Bonner of Lufkin, Toni Harrison of Votaw, and Tracy and Mark Milina of Galveston; twelve great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and a number of nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Bess was preceded in death by her husband, Donnie Louis Harrison; brothers and sisters, Henry, Faye, Jack, Veila, Ozark, Ossie, Ernest and Mary; one son, William (Bill) Harrison, daughter-in-law, Edie Harrison; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other family members.

Bessie Mae Harrison lived a long, productive life, blessed with good health and a sharp mind until the end. She was a strong woman and passes on a strong family who will miss her dearly, but the wisdom and knowledge she leaves with us will live on in our memory of her. She will be sorely missed.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday evening at Gipson Funeral Home.

Condolences may be offered at www.gipsonfuneralhome.com

Services have been placed in the trust of Gipson Funeral Home.