Ili Mae Harrison

She was born January 13, 1916, to Joe and Berma Good in Amity, Ark., where Mr. Good was the rural mail carrier and worked at the local bank. She was the first female graduate of Amity High School to attend college, later earning a bachelor’s degree at Arkansas State Teachers College and a masters degree at Oklahoma A&M.

She moved to Shawnee in1940 for a job with a girls residential training program. After a whirlwind romance she married Paul L. Wilson, who with his family, owned and

operated Wilson Greenhouse. Tragically, Mr. Wilson was killed in an automobile accident a few months before the birth of their second son.

She took a position with Oklahoma Baptist University where she initiated a home economics department that she headed for the next 30 years. One of the benefits of the OBU teaching job was she could look out her classroom window to see her two boys, Paul Alan and Phil, at the Kiddie Kottage across the street.

In 1972 she married George R. Harrison, owner of George’s Bakery. After retirement they traveled the country, seeing 49 of the 50 states, and were active participants in community and church organizations. Mr. Harrison died in 1987.

Ili Mae made a comfortable life for herself surrounded by friends and family, always trying new things and meeting new people. At the age of 93, she reflected on the many aspects of her life and ranked the top three as “family, friends, and volunteer work.”

She was a true lady, an inspiration to many and will be greatly missed.