Kathy Harrison

Kathy Harrison’s 10-year battle with Parkinson’s disease ended on November 25, 2020, when she passed away peacefully in the presence of her immediate family. Kathy did not express being in any pain. Parkinson’s was an adversary she could not defeat, but there was a victory in her handling of it. She never complained, expressed self-pity, or lost her spirit. She always had a warm smile for everyone and a twinkle in her eye.
Kathy was born on October 24, 1941 to Rowland and Rachel Bohstedt in Des Moines, Iowa. She graduated from Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, as Salutatorian of the class of 1959. She went to Cornell College on a scholarship, and aided by its strong English department, chose Literature as her field of concentration, and teaching as a career. She was a strong intellectual and wrote her honors thesis on Herman Melville's Billy Budd. After graduating from Cornell, Kathy earned a Master’s degree in English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign while teaching freshman English there and advising students majoring in English education.
She and her husband Roger established a scholarship in her name at Cornell College. A favorite memory was having heard Dr. Martin Luther King speak when he visited Cornell. Her motivation in establishing this scholarship was to “pay it forward” to give future students the same opportunity she was so fortunate to have at Cornell. Before her graduation, she was also elected President of Women's Student Government, and mentored other women leaders. She formed very close friendships with a cluster of women who got together from time to time all their lives.
For a number of years, she taught high school English at Evanston Township High School and Lake Park High School, both near Chicago, and also at Little Axe High School in Norman, OK. She served as the Chair of the English Department in both Evanston and Little Axe. She was named Teacher of the Year at Little Axe High School in 1997. At Little Axe, she helped to plan many Junior Proms. She also taught freshman English at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and high school English at the Alternative High School in Bartlesville, OK. After retirement from Little Axe in 2004, for several years she graded the written English SAT exam for the College Board and tutored English as a second language to adults in Norman.
She met Roger Harrison in York, England, where both had gone to see the York Mystery Plays, when she was teaching in Evanston and he was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They were married in 1974 in Evanston, IL. Sons Mike and Zack were born when they lived in Kalamazoo, MI. Besides raising two sons, Kathy and Roger hosted four high school boys—from Sweden, Germany, France, and Belgium—for one or two semesters and later visited them and their families in their home countries. They also enjoyed trips to England, Denmark, Czech Republic, Canada, and Mexico. For many years, she enjoyed participating in the Circle of the Son women’s group at First Presbyterian Church in Norman. Kathy really liked living in the university community of Norman for the last 32 years and especially enjoyed going to OU cultural events and OU football games.
She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Roger Harrison; son Mike Harrison and wife Terra; son Zack Harrison; granddaughters Mary Kathryn and Madeleine Harrison; sister Peggy Kahr and husband Doug; brother John Bohstedt and wife Kathy; niece Rachel Estes and husband Lane; nephews J.J. Fashimpaur and wife Jeanice, Ben Fashimpaur and wife Hilery, and Jake Bohstedt Morrill and wife Molly; and cousins Lynette Lobban, Carol Shurtleff, John Shurtleff and wife Mary, John Boll, Anita Boll Hulburt, Janet Mericle Levy, Marx Rehder and wife D'Lynn, Sara Rehder McKechnie and husband Dale, Dick Thomsen and wife Gloria, and Ralph Thomsen and wife Ardell.
A family graveside service for Kathy was held on Sunday, November 29 at Sunset Cemetery in Norman with Rev. Michael East officiating. Each family member put a red rose, Kathy’s favorite flower, on the casket. A memorial service for Kathy at First Presbyterian Church in Norman will be held at our church at some time in the near future when it is safe for all to attend.
We would like to thank everyone who helped Kathy tremendously in her battle with Parkinson’s disease, including physicians Matthew Ryan, Joe Riddle, and Farhan Jawed; caregiver Caren Thurston, who took care of her for several years; and the many caregivers from Visiting Angels, LifeSpring Home Care, and Excell Hospice.
Memorial donations may be made to the Kathryn (Bohstedt) Harrison ’63 Endowed Scholarship Fund at Cornell College, Development Office, 600 First Street SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314-1098.