Charles P. Harrison

Charles P. Harrison Jr. age 81 of Grand Rapids, MN died peacefully on Saturday,
July 6, 2024, at Grand Itasca Hospital. He was born October 31, 1942, in Chicago Heights,
IL to Charles and Electra (Johnson) Harrison. Charles grew up on a farm in Illinois, he
graduated from Bloom Township High School. Following graduation Charles worked
numerous jobs before working at the Ford Stamping Plant in Illinois. One of his great
passions as a young man was racing, in the late 60s and early 70s he was a member of the
SCCA Racing Club and drove Formula Ford cars with the goal of making it to Formula 1
racing. Charles was married to Eleanor Kathleen James Harrison from 1969 to 1972. In 1985, while working as an auto mechanic, he met his future wife, Mona Bernier.
After an extended engagement, they were married in Grand Rapids in 2021. Charles had
many interests throughout his life including birdwatching, hunting, fishing, photography
and passing his knowledge of life on to young people. He was good with his hands and
often had ongoing projects trying to fix up, repurpose and even invent various equipment.
Charles was an avid reader and had a serious passion for gardening and making things
grow. He was an advocate for social justice and fought for it in his own way. Charles
worked at Home Depot for 16 years and met countless people while on the job. He is
survived by his wife, Mona Bernier, daughters; Bonnie Claudia Harrison, Amy Bernier
Harrison, and Sara McDowell, siblings; Myrtle, Thornton, John (Barbara), and Mark, mother of Bonnie, Eleanor,
grandchildren; Violet McDowell, Mabel McDowell, Brwynn Jeranek, Elijah McDowell,
and Mahala Harrison Janecek; as well as family friends; Karen, Donna and Adrian Hanson
Kaasa. Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Electra; siblings,
LaWanna, LaRose and Rexford. A celebration of life will be held at Peterson Funeral

Chapel at 11 am Wednesday, July 10, 2024, with visitation at 10 am and reception to
follow.

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