Marilyn Josephine Harrison

Marilyn Josephine Harrison, beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother, passed peacefully on Friday September 14, 2018. She lived with a strength and faith that served as an inspiration to all who knew her. She had a deep faith in Jesus Christ and His infinite atonement and willingly served in building the kingdom of God.
Marilyn was born January 19, 1934 in Los Angeles, California during the hardships associated with the great depression and WWII. She spent three summers with her Uncle Marion on their farm in Maryland and shared many stories of spending the summer with Uncle Marion and Aunt Dorothy. Among the many things she learned from them, she learned how to ride horses, drive a tractor, gather eggs, plow the fields and can vegetables. She also made new friends and saw historical sites. The farm was a special place where she learned the value of hard work and became fascinated with fireflies that she described for the rest of her life. She said in her personal history, “If I want to recall the most wonderful time in my life, I would have to put this at the top of the list.”
She attended Garfield High School and began to hang around with youth from the Restored Church of Jesus Christ. While attending church with her friends, a young man named Bud Harrison returned from his mission to Scotland. A couple weeks later, at a youth activity in the San Bernardino Mountains, in the middle of Jenks Lake, the bishop asked Marilyn if she’d like to be baptized the next week. This young returned missionary, Bud Harrison, was asked to baptize her. Her grandmother was baptized the next month. This singular event changed her life forever more because shortly after that, Bud asked Marilyn if she’d marry him and she said yes. Marilyn was married on her 17th birthday, six months before she graduated from High School. Shortly after graduation, she became nauseated, and discovered she was pregnant with her first child.
Bud and Marilyn built their lives together in East Los Angeles and Yucaipa, California. They were happily married for 68 years. 60 of those years were in the same home in Yucaipa. With six active children, their lives consisted of swim clubs, church activities, missions, and school performances.
Marilyn was a Stay-Home mom and found fulfillment in serving faithfully in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ. After sending three sons on a mission for the church, Marilyn and Bud served a mission to the Illinois Chicago mission for the Deaf October 1986 to March 1988.
She leaves emptiness in our hearts and a legion of friends as she truly exemplified her title of Mother, Grandmother and Friend.
She is survived by her husband, Bud, her children: Wayne (Terrie Wilkinson), Kathy (Rick Foster), Bud Jr. (Debi Peterson), Rebecca (Jim Fawcett), Wendy Harrison, Terry Harrison, 33 grandchildren, 90 great grandchildren, and her Sisters Lois Stavnick & Shirley Wilson Espinoza. She is preceded in death by her parents Edwin Joseph Wilson and Evelyn Pearl Bagley and Amy Tannahill, her grandmother who she always referred to as “mother” and grandson Jaron Fawcett.
Family and friends may greet the family at 10:00am at the LDS church before the funeral services on Friday September 21 at 11am. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is located at 12776 6th St., Yucaipa, CA.
Interment at the Riverside National Cemetery.