May 24, 1939 –

March 19, 2013

On Monday, March 19, 2013, God in his divine providence, saw fit to call from earthly labors to heavenly rewards our beloved mother, sister, widow, and friend, Beulah Phedonia Harrison, 73, of Wilmington, N.C., who was born on May 24, 1939 to the late Charlie and Adelle Green of Fort Valley, Ga.

She was celebrated, then laid to rest at the In God We Trust Church Of Christ Ministries, 1611 Castle Hayne Road, Castle Hayne, N.C. on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, at noon.

Beulah was raised in Climax, Ga., gradauted from Decatur County public schools, and went to Savannah State College, where she met Willie Frank Harrison of Wilmington in 1956. They married soon after and relocated to northern New Jersey, first in Westwood, which had become the northern Harrison homestead, and then Teaneck, where they would reside for more than 40 years.

Beulah set the standard for young working mothers at the time, first at the Bergen Pines Hospital as a nurse’s assistant and then at the Teaneck Public Library as a longtime senior staffer. She made detailed clothing on her Singer sewing machine, played softball on the Teaneck women’s softball league, and took care of her home and family with the utmost care and style.

She became an accomplished antiques dealer at New York’s famous flea market in the antiques district on the Avenue of the Americas and 26th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan, for many years before she and her beloved Willie moved back south to his hometown of Wilmington, for a relaxed retirement lifestyle in 2002. She quickly joined Mount Roney Baptist Church, Willie’s childhood church, becoming a faithful servant of the Lord, loved by all who came into contact with her. Beulah was a very brave woman who overcame many of life’s challenges along the way. She relied on her deep faith, abiding trust and love for the Lord until He called her to her eternal home.

Beulah was married to Willie Frank for 51 years. She leaves two sons, Lorenzo (Rennie) and Dennis; four grandchildren, Jason, Jaren, Lesego and Tamara; five great-grandchildren; two sisters; four brothers; several brothers and sisters in law, a step mother, and numerous other relatives and friends.

She is predeceased by her husband, who died in 2007; her parents and 11 other brothers and sisters.

Adkins-Drain Funeral Home of Wilmington is in charge.