Freda Wallace Harrison

Freda was born Sept. 24, 1938, in Oxford, Mississippi, and attended University High School where she caught the eye of Robert (Bob) Harrison. He played clarinet, she was a majorette, and the rest was history. From high school sweethearts and watching his dance bands perform at Ole Miss formals, Freda, the real smarty pants of the family, graduated high school a year early and with honors in order to follow her love in his pursuit of an architecture degree at Tulane. The two married at First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi, on Aug. 12, 1956, before moving to New Orleans.

Freda attended Tulane College of Tulane University and worked at The Times-Picayune to help put Bob through school and continued working while he continued earning degrees. As they were married for 65 years this would become a common theme they often joked about. After Bob graduated from Tulane in 1959, they moved to Memphis for his first job, and Freda took on her biggest job yet, that of motherhood. She raised three daughters and seeing them married and giving her six grandchildren was her greatest delight.

Freda joined her first garden club in Memphis in 1960. After moving to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, Freda couldn’t find a garden club near her new home. With the assistance of the Jackson Council of Garden Clubs, Freda helped organize a neighborhood club. She remained active in garden club activities for over 50 years, from her local club in Jackson to The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, The Deep South Region and The National Garden Clubs, Inc. She held every position from secretary to president and served the council on the board of Keep Jackson Beautiful. It is because of her knowledge, dedication and willingness to guide and give back that she was named Deep South Region Mentor of the Year. Education, preservation and beautification were always her hallmarks.

Freda received many honors for her work in these organizations. Mississippi State Parks commended her “In recognition of outstanding support that resulted in the beautification of parks, special funding, extensive improvements, major construction, new programs, additional services and increased support of the Mississippi State Parks.” Freda and Bob received the Garden Clubs of Mississippi Silver Trophy (the highest honor awarded to a member) for their many university scholarships given for education in horticulture and landscape architecture. The Jury Room at the Mississippi State University School of Landscape Architecture building has a plaque naming the room in her honor. She served on the board of the National Council of Garden Clubs for more than 15 years, and her work as a “Steward of Tomorrow” is commemorated with a plaque in the national headquarters in St. Louis.

Through the busy years of garden club activities, Freda still made time for her church and community. She served on many boards including at Jackson’s Wesley United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women, and as Conference member while at Jackson’s Christ United Methodist Church. After moving to Madison, she was an active member of St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church. Freda has also served as president of the Hermitage Club, a Mississippi Federated Women’s Clubs affiliate; served on the Willowwood Development Center’s Foundation Board and was a member of the Jackson Symphony Association, the Mississippi Museum of Art Rembrandt Society and the Mississippi International Ballet Society.

Through the years, travel was a favorite family pastime, taking them to 40 countries and all states of the U.S., but it was when her family traveled home for her to dote on that she was most happy.

Freda is predeceased by her parents, Edward Frederick and Pearl Celeste Wallace of Oxford; her sister Bettye Caroll of Florida; and her husband, Robert Harrison. Freda is survived by her three girls, Celeste Harrison Roth (Tom) of Royal Oak, Michigan; Cheryl Harrison Formby (Lourie) of Philadelphia, Mississippi; and Cynthia Harrison Saatkamp (Andrew) of Memphis, Tennessee. Forever “Gran,” Freda is also survived by her grandchildren Ashton Roth Brooks (Micah), Grand Rapids, Michigan; Kendall Nicole Roth, Chicago, Illinois; Marshall Harrison Peeples and Christopher Wallace Peeples, Pontotoc, Mississippi; and Lily Bronwyn Saatkamp and Robert Jackson Saatkamp, Memphis, Tennessee.

Visitation will be held from 9:30-10:45am and services at 11am Saturday, Nov. 11, both at St. Matthews United Methodist Church in Madison, Mississippi. Burial will follow at Parkway Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Matthews, 7427 Old Canton Rd, Madison, MS, 39110, https://www.stm-umc.org/give, or the family asks that you consider planting a tree in Freda’s memory.

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