It was hard to pin this busy man down, but the wait was well worth it. A Newton County native, Charles Ricky Harrison obviously has a love and loyalty for his family, the school where he taught for 29 years, the church he has attended all his life and this county in which he lives and works. He was born to Charles and Earline May Harrison, and has a sister, Paula, who, with her husband Craig Thaggard, lives near her parents in Beulah Hubbard. The Thaggards have one daughter, Jessi. Ricky’s father was a surveyor all his life, and his mother was head teller at Trustmark Bank at Meridian for about 40 years.
Attending Beulah-Hubbard High School, even becoming Mr. Beulah-Hubbard, Ricky played all sports, earning awards and scholarships to East Central Community College to play football and baseball. I made him search his memory for those honors, such as being sophomore vice-president at ECCC. He received an associate degree in applied science, thinking of going into surveying and drafting, as he had done a lot of that with his father.
After graduating in 1978, he took a position in August of that year, working for Gene Damon, in drafting and surveying. One day he received a call from Mr. O.L. Newell, director of vocational technical studies at ECCC, asking if he would be interested in taking a position at the college, teaching surveying. The required criteria was to have the degree that he had earned at EC, and to have five years’ work experience in the field. Just as he had finished his five years, the job became open. Ricky commented, “That’s the way the Lord worked it out.”
He began teaching in January of 1983, got his surveying license in 2000 and kept teaching, retiring in 2011 to open his surveyor’s office in Decatur. He worked on Broad Street for years, but his office is now on the north end of the street that runs by the post office. He has working for him Marty Killens, Corey Fitzgerald and Josh Dickerson; so, when he retires, there will still be skillful surveyors here, in addition to a few others in the area.
When Ricky was in high school, he met Janean Huey at church. Her father, William Huey, was in the Army, and they had moved here when she was in the eighth grade. After Mr. Huey retired, the family moved to Beulah, where they had built a house. Janean’s mother, Nancy Huey, has since passed away. Janean graduated from Decatur High School in 1976.
Ricky and Janean dated during high school and college, before marrying June 15, 1980. She graduated with a medical records administration degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1979. After 31 years working in this field at Weems Community Health Center, she retired in 2010.
Their daughter, Crystal, was born April 1, 1982, and son, Charles Jessie, or C.J., came along on March 9, 1985. Fifteen years later, their son, Elijah, or Eli, was born April 25, 2000. I then learned what many here in Decatur already know, that Crystal, 11, and C.J., 8, were carried to Heaven after being killed in a horrible car accident, on Aug. 8, 1993, in which their parents were both hurt. Ricky had cuts and a separated shoulder, and Janean was hurt badly, leaving her with nerve damage, causing daily pain even now. Rickey said, “The biggest challenge for us at that time was we had to have funerals. Had to make decisions. My wife was hurt pretty bad. Everyone was so helpful.”
I asked in shock, “How’d you make it?” He said, “It is still tough sometimes today. But it was faith, family and friends. Not just our personal faith, but the support of our church and family.”
Then they decided to have another child. They thought of adopting, as there had been a surgical procedure to prevent Janean from having another child. However, as Ricky said, “This is how God works.” The Medical Center in Jackson was able to reverse the procedure, and when Ricky was 42 and Janean, 42, Janean gave birth to Elijah, named because of the words of one Glen Harrison, who had been reading about Elijah. He spoke to them about Elijah during a spiritually significant prayer service that the pastor and deacons held for the grieving, but expectant couple. Janean later told Ricky, “Elijah will be his name.”
The tragedy drew Ricky and Janean even closer in their marriage. He said, “It made us better, stronger even, in the Lord. Our personal faith and convictions became stronger. Our family and friends were so supportive. We love our church.” Their church is Beulah Baptist, with the pastor for seven years being Rev. Gary Rivers. I remembered that Bro. Luke Howell is the music director. I also heard it is a good, growing church.
Ricky said he was saved in April of 1968, when he was 11 years old. He recalled, “I felt the call of the Holy Spirit, came under conviction. It scared me to death, but I knew it was something I needed to do. I know I was saved then.” However, he continued, “There was a James Robison crusade about four years later here in Decatur. That was life-changing, a spiritual marker in my life. I guess you could call it a rededication.”
He teaches the young adult Sunday School class, and says, “I love that class. I really enjoy that. I also serve as a deacon. I try to do whatever the church needs.” Ricky went on to say what I think is the sentiment of many older folks, “As I get older, I don’t want to be a person that stops serving. I want to continue to serve in some capacity. There is wisdom in age. And I don’t think God ever quits working on you. You keep growing.” He reported, “Janean visits elderly people and has a heart for that.”
I asked about their son. Eli is now a sophomore at East Central and plays baseball. Ricky said, “We follow him and enjoy that.” He hopes to play baseball at a university, though he has not yet decided where he wants to go next. He is majoring in Business. He commented with a smile, “We see a lot of both Crystal and C.J. in Eli.”
Ricky thought back upon the journey they had been called to take, and remarked, “Things happen to lots of people. We’re not perfect, a long ways from being perfect, but we want to try to be a blessing. A lot of times, when things like this happen, people turn to the wrong things. It’s very difficult to make it through tragedies and trials without Jesus Christ in your heart.” I asked for anything else he would want to say, and he answered adamantly, “I just want to say that I have been blessed!”
Live for Jesus! He’s coming soon!
You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
