When Marianne Harrison’s family gathered to celebrate her 95th birthday, they were
celebrating far more than the passing of another year.
They were honoring a life built on faith, family, friendship and service. They were also
celebrating the legacy Marianne created alongside her late husband, Charles Creshull
Harrison Jr., a man whose influence can still be seen throughout Marianna and Jackson
County.
Marianne turned 95 on September 13. Her daughter, Sara Lucile “Cile” Snow, carried
much of the responsibility for organizing the celebration and admitted that her mother
wore her out.
It was worth every minute.
“She absolutely loved every second of it,” Cile said. “It was so worth it.”
Marianne Montgomery was born in West Greene, Alabama, and grew up in the country
riding horses, feeding chickens and enjoying the simple pleasures of childhood. She
attended Judson College before moving to Panama City, where she taught second
grade at Panama Grammar School.
It was in Panama City that she met the man with whom she would build a life and a
legacy.
Creshull first saw Marianne at the Seven Seas and reportedly wasted no time
announcing his intentions.
“I’m going to marry that girl,” he declared.
Marianne happened to be wearing another young man’s West Point pin at the time, but
Creshull was apparently not discouraged. Their romance grew, with their first kiss taking
place atop the Hathaway Bridge.
After two years of dating, Marianne and Creshull married on October 15, 1955. They
returned to Marianna and raised four children: Margaret Anne, Cresh, Cile and Ellyn.
They would share nearly 65 years of marriage.
Faith was the foundation of their home. Their children were taught to put God first, place
others before themselves and understand that character mattered more than
recognition.
“The biggest thing my dad always said was that having integrity and being a person of
character was the most important thing,” Cile said. “Faith in God was his number one
thing, and he lived his life that way.”
Creshull also taught his children that a person’s word carried weight.
“He always used to say, ‘A handshake should be enough,’” Cile recalled. “‘Your word
and your handshake should be enough.’”
That principle guided the way Creshull conducted business during his 24 years as
president of Harrison Chevrolet Company. He did not view customers simply as
transactions. He saw people, families and neighbors.
Following his death, the Harrison family began hearing stories they had never known.
One man recalled purchasing a vehicle from Creshull and making payments until he lost
his job. Believing he could no longer afford the car, the man returned to the dealership
and told Creshull he needed to give it back.
Creshull would not take it.
“You keep that car, and whenever you’re able, you just start making some payments,”
he told the man. “If you’re not, you just keep that car because your family needs it.”
It was not an isolated act.
The family heard stories of Creshull quietly placing money into the hands of people who
could not afford food, helping customers through difficult circumstances and meeting
needs without telling anyone what he had done.
“The things he did, he did in private,” Cile said. “He used to always tell us the Bible says
you should give and not want to be known or get pats on the back for it. You should do
things out of the goodness of your heart for other people, not because you want
recognition.”
That quiet generosity was part of a family tradition.
Creshull learned it from his parents, whom the Harrison children called Papa and
Mamo. He and Marianne passed it to their children, including their son Charles Creshull
“Cresh” Harrison III.
When the younger Cresh died on Christmas Eve in 2023, people again came forward
with stories of help he had given without recognition. Even his family had not known the
extent of what he had done for others.
“He never wanted to be the spotlight or the center of attention,” Cile said.
Creshull Jr.’s public record of service was extensive, even without counting the
generosity that remained private.
He served in the U.S. Air Force and retired from the Reserve with the rank of captain.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Marianna for more than 80 years
and chaired both its Administrative Board and Board of Trustees.
He served as president of the Marianna Rotary Club, remained a Rotarian for more than
70 years and received the Paul Harris Fellow Award. He also served as president of the
Marianna Chamber of Commerce.
During his Chamber leadership, Creshull helped secure the Sunland Training Center, a
facility created to serve people with disabilities.
He spent 44 years on the board of SouthTrust Bank of Northwest Florida, including
service as chairman. His statewide leadership included positions with the Florida
Automobile Dealers Association, Florida Development Commission, Florida Land Sales
Board and Florida Board of Business Regulation.
Creshull helped develop the Indian Springs community, where he and Marianne lived for
more than 24 years. He was the developer and first president of Marianna Country Club
and an original director and shareholder in WTOT Radio and Pinecrest Memorial
Cemetery.
One of his most meaningful contributions was the chapel he built at Chipola College,
providing students and community members with a place for worship, reflection and
restoration. Decades later, the chapel continues serving the purpose for which it was
created.
For all Creshull accomplished, those closest to him remember the man more than the
titles.
Marianne shared his servant’s heart.
She taught Sunday school, led Girl Scouts and kept a home where there always
seemed to be room for one more child. Her children’s friends were welcomed as family,
whether they needed a meal, a place to sleep or an adult who cared.
At the family’s Panama City Beach home, Marianne frequently awakened to find
teenagers sleeping throughout the living room and even on the deck. She welcomed
them, but she had one firm Sunday-morning rule.
Everyone was going to church.
It did not matter whether they had gone to bed at 10 p.m. or 3 a.m. It also did not matter
whether they attended Woodlawn Methodist or Gulfgate Baptist. They were going
somewhere.
Marianne’s service extended far beyond her own family. She visited nursing homes,
hospital patients and shut-ins, often arriving with homemade cookies or another small
gift.
She made regular visits to a man named Udon, bringing him a Coca-Cola and
hamburger and treating him with the same concern she would have shown a member of
her own family.
“She did for other people all the time, never expecting anything in return,” Cile said.
“She taught us that love isn’t just something you say. It’s showing up and serving
someone along the way.”
Marianne and Creshull also filled their marriage with travel, friends and time with family.
They enjoyed Panama City Beach, their mountain home in Sapphire, North Carolina,
and trips around the world.
Creshull was an avid golfer, although he jokingly described himself as a “hopeless
putter.” Marianne enjoyed tennis and bridge and remained fiercely competitive.
That competitive spirit has not disappeared at 95. These days, her game of choice is
Rummikub.
Anyone who visits should be prepared to play, whether they know the rules or not. They
should also be prepared to lose.
Marianne has slowed down physically, but she remains active in the ways that matter to
her. She texts family members throughout the day, follows friends and family on
Facebook, watches worship services from First United Methodist Church of Marianna
and First Baptist Church of Panama City each Sunday, takes short walks and spends
time with her beloved dog, Bear.
The family also found a new purpose that allows Marianne to continue serving others.
Cile volunteers with Lighthouse Family Retreat, an organization that supports children
with cancer and their families. The organization sends birthday cards throughout the
year, and Marianne now colors many of them by hand.
She has completed approximately 400 cards.
Cile will give her a stack of 50, and before long Marianne is asking for more.
At 95, she is still looking for a way to brighten someone else’s day.
Her life has also included tremendous loss. She lost her mother and brother far too
early, then her husband and later her son. Losing Cresh was especially painful, but
Marianne continued leaning on the faith that had sustained her throughout her life.
One of the most touching reminders of her marriage arrived two days after Creshull’s
death.
Creshull died October 13, 2020, just two days before their 65th wedding anniversary.
During his final days, while he was still able to make his wishes known, he gave Cile
one important instruction.
“I need you to order your mama 65 yellow roses for our anniversary,” he told her.
Cile placed the order.
On October 15, the flowers arrived for Marianne. She initially believed her children had
sent them, but Cile explained that the roses were Creshull’s final anniversary gift to his
wife.
Thirteen of those roses were later preserved in a shadow box, with each representing a
member of the family at that time. The keepsake remains in Marianne’s home.
Today, the family has continued to grow. Marianne has eight grandchildren, seven great-
grandchildren and another two great-grandchildren expected soon.
They were there to celebrate her 95th birthday and the life she and Creshull built
together.
Their legacy is found in businesses, community institutions, a college chapel and
projects that helped Marianna grow. But its truest measure may be found in the lessons
passed from one generation to the next.
Put God first. Keep your word. Let a handshake mean something. Help people when
they need it. Give without expecting recognition. Keep room at the table for one more.
Creshull Harrison spent his life helping build Marianna, frequently without taking credit
for his work. Marianne spends hers serving family, friends and strangers with the same
generous spirit.
Together, they built something greater than any dealership, development or
organization.
They built a family rooted in faith, character and service.
At 95, Marianne Harrison remains at the center of that family, still coloring cards, still
defeating challengers at Rummikub, still loving Bear and still responding to life’s
surprises with her trademark exclamation:
“Mercy!”