April 4, 1942 - March 22, 2024
Bonnie Belle (Harrison) Brown, of Norman, age 81, beloved wife and mother, passed away on March 22, 2024, in Yukon, surrounded by her family.
Born on April 4, 1942, in Manchester, Tennessee, to Marvin Joshua Harrison and Lillian Lovena (Bell) Harrison, Bonnie was loved deeply by her parents. She lived in the historic town of Old Hickory, near the DuPont Company in Nashville during the first few years of her life until her mother passed away when she was age 4. Thereafter, she grew up in the holler as a fearless and adventurous young girl who joyfully discovered the wonder, safety and freedom of nature and the outdoors.
Tragically, Bonnie was orphaned at age 14, when her father died, but was incredibly resilient due to her unwavering faith. One of her favorite memories was going to the Grand Ole Opry with her father, mother and siblings to see Little Jimmy Dickens and Roy Acuff play country music. She graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1962 where she enjoyed playing basketball and the saxophone, and discovered her love of art.
On Dec. 21, 1962, Bonnie married Donald Max Brown who was serving in the U.S. Air Force which brought them to Abilene, Texas. She joyfully embraced motherhood with gentleness, gratitude and contentment. Bonnie and her husband raised their three daughters: Mary, Melissa, and Amanda, while living in Texas and Oklahoma. The couple cared for Bonnie’s young nieces and nephews for several years in El Paso, until their parents, Barbara and Alex Garza, established a loving home and family for them in Ione, Washington.
Bonnie shared her gifts of compassion and empathy while serving vulnerable children, as a house parent with her husband, at theTipton Children’s Home in Tipton, Oklahoma, from 1975 to 1979. She served as a member of the Church of Christ, in Mangum, and an elder’s wife, at the Perry Church of Christ until 2020. She remained active in the First Christian Church of Norman, Oklahoma.
Bonnie enjoyed traveling annually throughout the Great Northwest to Washington, with Don and her three beloved dogs—Sam, Foster and Teddy Max—visiting her older sister, Barbara and her husband Alex Garza. She took pride in her gardening skills and loved planting and watching her trees and flowers grow.
Bonnie was an artistic prodigy, a naturally gifted artist, who received various art show awards, and earned community merit and special recognition throughout her career. She taught private art lessons in her home and was invited to be an art instructor on the Altus Air Force Base. Her formal art education began in her 50s while attending Northern Oklahoma College, in Tonkawa, where her paintings were permanently displayed.
While living in Perry, Bonnie created an art studio on Main Street, where she displayed and sold many of her original paintings and prints. As a local artist, she was commissioned to paint and also donated several landmark and Oklahoma Western scene paintings, including the Perry High School, the First Christian Church and the Perry Train Depot. In 2019, a large collection of her art pieces were on display by invitation from the Cherokee Strip Museum in Perry. Recently, Bonnie added to her collection of artworks by joining art students at the Adult Wellness Center in Norman, where she also loved swimming, playing corn hole and making new friends with her beloved sister mother-in-law Jane Boren.
Most importantly, Bonnie was known for her optimistic kind spirit, beautiful smile and ability to humbly love and respect everyone she met.
She and Don were married for almost 60 years. She was a faithful, devoted wife and mother who loved the Lord and remained obedient to God until He called her home.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her husband, Don; sister, Barbara (Alex) Garza of Ione, Washington; parents Marvin (Lillian) Harrison of Manchester, Tennessee; one niece and three nephews. She is survived by her three daughters: Mary Brown Boren (Nathan; Norman, Oklahoma), Melissa Brown Hanke (Jim; Clarendon Hills, Illinois), Amanda Lee Ann Carr (Ken; Moore, Oklahoma); seven grandchildren; younger brother Terry J. Harrison (Melody; Winchester, Tennessee), and her beloved dog Teddy Max, a smart-as-a-person Jack Russell.
She was an aunt to many nieces and nephews living in Washington, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky.
A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. Monday, April 1, 2024, at First Christian Church, 220 S. Webster Ave., Norman, OK 73069. Condolences may be shared at www.tribute.care.
Graveside service will be 3 p.m. Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Bomar Cemetery, 1700 Hilltop Road, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388.
To honor the life of Bonnie Belle Brown, donations can be made to Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children; Food & Shelter of Norman; Fine Arts Division, Northern Oklahoma College, Tonkawa, Oklahoma; Raus Community Center, Tullahoma, Tennessee; or Bomar Cemetery in Tullahoma, Tennessee.