Harrison Norris
Harrison Norris August 2010 Member Spotlight is a new monthly publication to help us get to know our church family better. This month we’re featuring Harrison Norris, someone with a long history with the church at Herrin. In fact he was one of the first elders. Harrison’s story begins in DuQuoin where he was born and raised. He graduated from high school in 1951 and after a ten year hiatus he attended college at SIU and graduated with a Masters in Speech Education. Between high school and college Harrison met the love of his life, Kay Rogers, who lived in Christopher. Their first date was a blind date on Thanksgiving Day. Through the years he would jokingly tell Kay “I knew I should have gone bird hunting instead.” Six months after that first blind date, they were heading down to Corinth, Mississippi for the wedding of one of Harrison’s friends. On the way there, they decided to get married too. So both couples were married on May 23, 1953. They lived for a while in Christopher and then moved to Mt. Vernon where Harrison got a job working at a Chrysler factory and Kay at a furniture store. About five years after that, Harrison went to work at Vedall Pipeline Construction Co. as a field office manager and Kay worked as secretary. Harrison was introduced to the church by his employers, Ed Veach and Stub Randall, who were members of the Mt. Vernon Church of Christ. At that time he had no interest in church. After they moved to Carmi, a Christian lady came by their home and invited them to attend church with her. Harrison liked how she approached them and decided that this is where they would attend church. Wayne Dinkins was the minister and baptized Harrison at age 27. Kay had a strong Christian background, attended the Christopher Christian Church as a child. Her grandparents were members at the Christopher Church of Christ.
Harrison and Kay’s first child, Janelle, was born in 1955 while they were living in Mt. Vernon. Not long after she was born Harrison lost his job. They moved from Carmi to Johnston City and Harrison decided to go to college. After graduating in 1964, he got a job at Johnston City High School teaching English and Speech. They soon bought property from Valgene Gould and built a home in Energy where he lives to this day. They had two more children Tom, who was born in 1966 and Chris who was born in 1968. Today, Janelle and her husband Paul Menkis live in Marion and have three grown children. Tom lives in Energy with his dad and has two grown children. Chris lives in Energy and has three teenage children. Harrison has eleven great grandchildren. In 1998, after thirty-four years of teaching high school, Harrison retired but soon began teaching English Composition and Speech part-time at John A Logan. I asked Harrison what he liked most about teaching and he laughed and said “Spring and Summer Break.” He said he really enjoyed teaching and had a lot of good times and good memories. On July 4th 2001, Harrison suffered a stroke that affected his right side. His wife was his strength through it all and Harrison told me that she was a tough task master. She would tell Harrison “Cheer up Norris; this is what we’re doing today!” Later, after Kay became ill, Harrison would say the same to her “Cheer up Norris; this is what we’re doing today!” His wife of fifty -five years passed away on December 15, 2008.
Through the years, Harrison enjoyed golfing, shooting pistols with Kay, reloading, motorcycle riding with Walt, and camping. In 1985, Harrison and Kay went tent camping with Donna and Walt Ware in Georgia. Kay loved camping so much that Harrison said “I created a monster.” Tent camping turned into a pop-up camper, which eventually progressed to two different fifth wheel campers. When Kay wanted an even larger one, Harrison finally said “NO.” In their later years they would park their camper at Rend Lake and still enjoyed that part of their life. I asked Harrison what his favorite song was and he said, “That’s easy. It is ‘His Grace Reaches Me.’” And that is the song he wants sung at his funeral. When asking about his favorite verse or passage, he thought of a couple. He really likes Acts the second chapter which is the beginning of the church and how it was done in the first century. And also the passage in Esther that talks about Esther being “born for times such as these.” I have known Harrison ever since I was a teenager and would go to the Little Egypt Christian Youth Camp where he was a counselor and both of his sons were campers. Over the years he’s become such an inspiration to me and a great friend.
By Sheryl Brenningmeyer with Rose Loveless
Harrison and Kay’s first child, Janelle, was born in 1955 while they were living in Mt. Vernon. Not long after she was born Harrison lost his job. They moved from Carmi to Johnston City and Harrison decided to go to college. After graduating in 1964, he got a job at Johnston City High School teaching English and Speech. They soon bought property from Valgene Gould and built a home in Energy where he lives to this day. They had two more children Tom, who was born in 1966 and Chris who was born in 1968. Today, Janelle and her husband Paul Menkis live in Marion and have three grown children. Tom lives in Energy with his dad and has two grown children. Chris lives in Energy and has three teenage children. Harrison has eleven great grandchildren. In 1998, after thirty-four years of teaching high school, Harrison retired but soon began teaching English Composition and Speech part-time at John A Logan. I asked Harrison what he liked most about teaching and he laughed and said “Spring and Summer Break.” He said he really enjoyed teaching and had a lot of good times and good memories. On July 4th 2001, Harrison suffered a stroke that affected his right side. His wife was his strength through it all and Harrison told me that she was a tough task master. She would tell Harrison “Cheer up Norris; this is what we’re doing today!” Later, after Kay became ill, Harrison would say the same to her “Cheer up Norris; this is what we’re doing today!” His wife of fifty -five years passed away on December 15, 2008.
Through the years, Harrison enjoyed golfing, shooting pistols with Kay, reloading, motorcycle riding with Walt, and camping. In 1985, Harrison and Kay went tent camping with Donna and Walt Ware in Georgia. Kay loved camping so much that Harrison said “I created a monster.” Tent camping turned into a pop-up camper, which eventually progressed to two different fifth wheel campers. When Kay wanted an even larger one, Harrison finally said “NO.” In their later years they would park their camper at Rend Lake and still enjoyed that part of their life. I asked Harrison what his favorite song was and he said, “That’s easy. It is ‘His Grace Reaches Me.’” And that is the song he wants sung at his funeral. When asking about his favorite verse or passage, he thought of a couple. He really likes Acts the second chapter which is the beginning of the church and how it was done in the first century. And also the passage in Esther that talks about Esther being “born for times such as these.” I have known Harrison ever since I was a teenager and would go to the Little Egypt Christian Youth Camp where he was a counselor and both of his sons were campers. Over the years he’s become such an inspiration to me and a great friend.
By Sheryl Brenningmeyer with Rose Loveless
