Louise Harrison (1922-2021)

HARRISON, CROWLEY, HALE, THOMAS, WELLER, WILLETT, MAYER

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 1/18/2021 at 08:35:10

Muscatine, Iowa - Louise Harrison, 98, passed away on January 12, 2021 due to complications from COVID-19 while in residence at Lutheran Living Senior Campus in Muscatine, Iowa. Entombment will take place at the Rock Island National Cemetery on Arsenal Island in Rock Island, Illinois in a small family service. In compliance with current public health guidelines, a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

She was born near rural Waldron, Arkansas to Kenneth "Kinney" Rufus Hale and Martha Elizabeth Crowley on May 21, 1922. She was the second youngest of twelve children and is the last surviving member of that family. Louise attended high school in Mena, Arkansas where she met James Harry Thomas, a classmate; the couple was married in Mena on February 26, 1942. Shortly after the wedding, Jimmie was posted to England as a Corporal in the Army Air Corps and Louise moved to San Antonio where she worked at Kelly Field supporting B-17 bomber production. Jimmie returned home on a medical release and died on August 24, 1945.

Louise, recently widowed, moved to Chillicothe, Missouri to attend Chillicothe Business College where she met Robert Harrison of Hamilton, Iowa, a decorated combat veteran. Louise and Bob were married July 25, 1947 in Kansas City and moved to Bethany, Missouri, then to Oskaloosa and on to Pella, Iowa where they lived for 25 years. After a short residence in Aurora, Colorado, they retired in Muscatine, Iowa in 1983.

She was a faithful member of Faith United Church of Christ in Muscatine and, in her earlier years, was an avid lifelong bridge player, a member of PEO Chapter FC, and enjoyed golf as a member of Geneva Golf and CC, where she scored a hole-in-one.

Louise was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother and will be missed by her family and friends. She was an excellent Southern cook and mentor and took great pride in her family. She celebrated her 73rd wedding anniversary in 2020, surrounded by friends and family.

Louise is survived by her husband, Robert Richard Harrison of Muscatine; her son, Michael (Nancy) Harrison of Illinois City, Illinois; her son Robert Harrison (Janis) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; her daughter Cindy Weller of Green Bay, Wisconsin and by eight grandchildren: Andrew (Sarah) Harrison of Crystal Lake, Illinois; Kelsey (Brad) Hodapp of Muscatine; Tim Harrison of Brooklyn, New York; Jenny (Brandon) Caswell of Marion, Iowa; Melanie Harrison (and her fiancé, Anders Johnson) of Minnetonka, Minnesota; Nicole Harrison of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Kate (Robbie) Willett of De Pere, Wisconsin and Allison (Kallen) Mayer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin as well as eleven great grandchildren and three nieces (Anna Sue Rea of Florissant, Missouri; Elizabeth June Karpen of Talent, Oregon and Clara Anne Caul of Citrus Heights, California).

Louise will be truly missed, and the family would like to extend their sincere thanks and appreciation to the staff of Sunnybrook, Lutheran Living and especially Compassus Hospice for their kind, competent and loving care of Louise throughout her residencies there.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Faith United Church of Christ (3307 Mulberry Ave, Muscatine, IA 52761).