Noah Paul Harrell

Memorial services for Noah Paul Harrell, 75, of Jefferson, Texas will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Jefferson on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Virginia Peavey officiating under the direction of Haggard Funeral Home.

The descendant of two early East Texas pioneer families, Noah Paul Harrell was the sixth son of William Floyd Harrell and Maggie Humphrey Harrell.  He was born in Jefferson, Texas, on June 15, 1947. He passed away peacefully at home on August 23, 2022 with his family by his side. A Memorial Service honoring his memory will be held Saturday, September 10, 2022, 2:00PM, at First United Methodist Church, Jefferson, Texas. A reception will follow immediately after the service in the Fellowship Hall.

Paul loved his hometown of Jefferson, and was proud to be a member of the Jefferson High School Graduating Class of 1965. He was a natural athlete and excelled in all sports. Paul was selected to the Coach & Athlete Prep-All American High School Football Squad. At the age of 16, he tried out for the Houston Colt .45s Baseball Team, which later became the Houston Astros. He was offered a spot with the team, but decided to finish high school first. Softball was his love, playing for the semi-pro fast-pitch softball team, Kelly’s Truckers. Paul   used sports as an outreach to mentor others. Our family has been blessed by the many young people who have reached out to us to share stories of how Paul intervened in their lives at critical times. He was quiet, unassuming, very social, loved people, and never met a stranger. He was very loyal to his family and many life-long friends.

Paul had a deep and abiding faith. He experienced the miracle of prayer during a critical life-threatening event while at Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Dallas. Although his faith was very personal, he was not shy to share this miracle as testimony to his deep faith. The foundation of his faith was formed in his youth through membership at Faith Tabernacle Church in Jefferson. Upon marriage to his wife, Carol, he transferred his membership to Mims Chapel United Methodist Church, and in the last few years to First United Methodist, Jefferson.

Historic preservation was his way of showing love for his hometown of Jefferson. His whole adult years were spent in partnership with Carol researching, purchasing and restoring properties in Jefferson. The joy was saving these properties from destruction, preserving them, telling their story, and finding a new owner who would love them. Those properties included The Captain’s Castle Tour Home, Anne’s Arbor Bed and Breakfast, The Benefield House Bed and Breakfast, the Black Swann Winery, McGarrity’s Saloon, and the Haywood House Tour Home. Most of these properties were showcased during the annual Jessie Allen Wise Garden Club Pilgrimage and The Jefferson Candlelight Tour of Homes. Paul was an ardent supporter of The Jeffersonian Institute and Jefferson ISD, making many trips to Austin and Washington, D.C. as a member of delegations promoting historic preservation and education.

Paul was the owner of Woodland Shores Grocery and McKenzie Manor Bed and Breakfast on Lake O’ the Pines. He was an outdoorsman to his core, being happiest when he was immersed in nature. His employment with The Texas A&M Forest Service allowed him to experience this love of nature with his fellow Forest Service team members. Moreover, he loved to hunt and fish throughout his lifetime. In the last few years, he always looked forward to going hunting with Gaylon Turner. In the same way he loved being in nature, he loved to entertain his family and friends. His annual Fourth of July picnics at his home on Lake O’ the Pines were epic. These were annual events that anyone and everyone attended.

Paul, like so many other young people who began their work history in the 1960’s and 1970’s, was exposed to chemicals in the workplace that resulted in lifelong medical issues. His strong will and competitive spirit, enhanced by the good fortune of excellent health care, provided for him a good quality of life. We wish to extend special appreciation to Dr. Dawn Whelchel, and to Dr. Rita Lepe. He especially loved “his girls” at Christus Good Shepherd in Marshall for taking such good care of him and spoiling him.

Paul was preceded in death by his mother, Maggie Harrell; his father, William Floyd Harrell; brothers, Richard, William Edward (Wimpy), Gene, and Bill; sisters in law, Eva Harrell, Juanita Harrell, Lanice Harrell, and Emma Harrell; mother in law, Anne McKenzie; father in law, Fred McKenzie; nieces Robin Harrell Tullock, Vicky Harrell, Lisa Jo Harrell Hilton, and Karen Harrell Travis; cousin Mark Bryson; and best friend, John Hall.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 60 years, Dr. Carol McKenzie Harrell; daughter, Paula Harrell Phy; the best son in law in the world, Dr. Timothy Phy; granddaughter, Stephanie McKenzie Phy; brother, V.P. (Phoney) Harrell (Phyllis); nephews, Gerald Richard Harrell (Carolyn), Gene Harrell (Tammy), Bill Harrell (Michelle), Scott McKenzie, and Fred McKenzie (Holly); nieces, Becky Harrell Gaddis, Sherry Harrell Alvis, Lori Harrell Suber (Brian), Katrina Harrell, Ann Harrell, Sheila Harrell Kornele, Pam Harrell, Dr. Jana Ponder, and Jill Walther (Ves); brother in law, Dr. Robert McKenzie (Yolanda); many great- and great-great- nieces and nephews; cousins Cotton Hampton (Barbara), Cindy Early (John) and Fredda Jackson (Mark); special “sons” who took him on his last adventures, Jim Powell (Margie), and Don Wyatt (Liz); and his fur babies Sunni, Clarence Braden, Red, Millie, Tuffy, Diva, and Dori.

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