Kay Roach Harrison

Monday, March 30, 2009

Kay Roach Harrison of Manila, 67, died Thursday, March 26, 2009, in Austin, Texas. She was born March 29, 1941, in Manila to the late Walter and Mary Nell Roach. Before becoming the social and activities director at the Manila Nursing home, she worked as a substitute teacher and bus driver for Manila School District and had owned and ran the Playland Daycare in Manila for several years. She loved to sing and was in the gospel group "The Followers". She also did the summer arts and crafts program at Mississippi County Libraries in Leachville and Manila. She served her community for several years on the Manila City Council and as a SCAN case worker. She was an active member of the Manila First Baptist Church.

Survivors include her husband, Wallace Harrison; two sons and their wives, Todd and Riki Harrison of Dale, Texas, and Cory and Joy Harrison of Manila; a daughter and husband, Susan and William Hill of Manila; three sisters, Bobbie Fleeman of Manila, Dot Mahan of Fort Meyers, Fla., and Nellowen Shumaker of Austin, Texas; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A celebration of her life was held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Manila with Revs. Ray Dill and Ferrel Duffel officiating. Burial was in Monette Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Gregg Funeral Home of Monette.

Honored to serve as pallbearers were Tommy Towles, Dale Poag, Paul Wayne Hicks, Robert Hamilton, Don E. Wagner and Ronnie Crain and as honorary pallbearers, Freddie Russell Fleeman, Junior Wise, Jackie Hill, Bill Craig, Alvis Snider, McCoy Wilbanks, Frankie Byrd and Bobby Walton.

Visitation was held from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the Howard Funeral Home in Manila under the direction of Gregg Funeral Home of Monette.