Ada Harrison

Ada Wilkerson Harrison entered this world on July 7, 1923. The daughter of Robert (Bob) and Jenny Caroline Wilkerson, she was born in Hardin County, Tennessee, a place which would remain her home throughout most of her life. On December 23, 1944 she married Warren George Harrison who preceded her in death on Christmas Eve of 1975.



After his death, Ada worked hard to support her two daughters, taking in ironing to provide for their needs and school expenses. She never viewed it as a chore because she loved doing it and often sang as she ironed. The list of families for whom she ironed was extensive and everyone appreciated the effort she put into the task. The men especially liked the way their shirts were pressed when Ada did them. One of her customers, Nancy Davis, also employed her at the Savannah Motel and her home where Ada would not only iron but clean as well. Although many people encouraged her to accept welfare, food stamps, or other means of public assistance, she never did, preferring to support her family through hard work.



Despite her daily work of ironing, Ada found time to sew, making clothes for her daughters as well as her mother and sister. Crocheting was a great love of hers and she left behind numerous afghans and doilies she had made in addition to the ones she had already given many in her family. The same could be said for the quilts she made using the quilting frame which hung from the ceiling in her house. Nothing was ever wasted including the produce from the huge garden she raised each year. Everything was canned to provide for her family during the fall and winter months.



She was an extremely religious person, praying every night with her hand on Psalm 23, her favorite passage in the Bible. Often she would repeat the words of Mark 9:23 to her family, "Ye who have faith in God nothing shall be impossible." They were the words she lived by. To the end, Ada was a fighter, someone who cherished life and wanted so much to live, but despite that great desire, her body could not equal her will and she died on Friday, December 9, 2011 at the age of 88 years, 5 months and 2 days.



Ada leaves two daughters, Jeannette Harrison Weimer and her husband, Mike, of Huntsville, Alabama and Linda Lou Harrison of Savannah, Tennessee, two sisters, Jane Wilkerson and Jinney Wilkerson Thrasher, both of Savannah, Tennessee, four granddaughters, Jenny Malinda Weimer McKnight, Julie Michelle Weimer, Joy Meagan Weimer Kello, and Jessica Michael Weimer, and three great-grandsons, Andrew Lee McKnight, Aiden Michael McKnight, and Caleb Thomas Kello. A fourth great-grandson, Jacob Michael Kello, will be born in April of 2012.



Other than her husband and parents, Ada was preceded in death by her son, Warren G. Harrison, Jr.; two sisters, Rhoda Brewington and Ester Lee Wilkerson, and three brothers, Bill Wilkerson, Rob Wilkerson, and Otis Wilkerson.