Obituary: Nancy Harrison, mother of LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison

Nancy Harrison

Nancy Theresa Harrison of Sioux City, Iowa, passed into the arms of Christ on June 12 after a brief illness. She was 86.

Harrison was the mother of LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison. She was born in Sioux City to Leo and Theresa (Choquette) Vondrak on St. Valentine’s Day 1938. She graduated from Central High School, Sioux City, in 1956, and married Carl Wesley Harrison on June 7, 1957.

In 1981, the Harrisons moved to Omaha, Neb., where Carl was CFO for Owen Industries and Nancy worked for Northwestern Bell. After retirement, the Harrisons returned to Sioux City, where, for 25 years, they hosted Fourth of July celebrations at their rural Hinton home, welcoming family and friends from near and far.

The Harrisons were faithful members of Bethel Lutheran Church, Lawton, Iowa; Redeemer, Sioux City; Divine Shepherd, Omaha; and, for the past 25 years, Calvary Lutheran Church in Leeds, Iowa. Nancy was active in Ruth’s Circle at Calvary and in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League since 1957. She served for many years in leadership for the St. Luke’s Hospital (Unity Point, Iowa) Auxiliary. She spent the past two years in Pioneer Valley Living and Rehabilitation in Sioux City.

Nancy was mother to Dan Harrison (wife, Dena, and children, Alexa Maloney and Christine DeWitt), who passed away in 2017; Matthew Harrison (wife, Kathy, and children Matthew and Mark); and Catherine Waymaster (husband, Brian, and children, Daniel and Michael). Nancy was recently predeceased by her sister, Colleen Lafferty. She is survived by siblings Richard Vondrak, Doug Vondrak and Suzanne Mitchell. She was actively involved and interested in the lives of her grandchildren and their spouses, her great-grandchildren, her nieces and nephews and their children, and many others.

President Harrison reflected on his mother’s legacy shortly after she died, writing of her “drive, confidence and unending energy. She enjoyed life and had an endless number of friends. Kathy and I were visiting her and my father last week, when she fell ill and was hospitalized. … This morning at about 2 a.m., we were informed that her time was very short. … She was brought home by ambulance, gently laid in bed, and 10 minutes later she passed from this vale of tears to the arms of Christ to await the blessed resurrection. She was surrounded by loved ones. Her pastor prayed and encouraged. We sang Easter hymns, the Nunc Dimittis, read texts and said prayers. The LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the LORD.”

Memorials may be made to the LCMS Office of International Mission (lcms.org/international) or the Old Latin School, Wittenberg (oldlatinschool.org/donate).

June 20, 2024