Lynn Lathrop Harrison

Lynn Lathrop Harrison of North Aurora, Illinois, passed away March 15, 2025. She was born Dec. 18, 1937, in Olney, Illinois. Her grandfather nicknamed her “Jingle” when she was born just before Christmas, and it stuck. Throughout her life, that’s how she was known to family and close friends. Her father was a farmer and pipefitter, and during Jingle’s childhood he moved the family from town to town across the Midwest and Southern states, working on oil refineries in support of the war effort. They lived in Alton, Galveston, Muskegon, and many other towns before returning home to Claremont, Illinois, to stay in 1945.

The family lived in the farmhouse her great-grandfather built, and Jingle’s first school after moving back to the Olney area was a one-room schoolhouse in Amity, Illinois. Busses came to rural Claremont shortly after and she completed her education at Richland County schools.

It was in Olney, working for Pure Oil Co. as a secretary, where Jingle met her future husband. Dick Harrison was a student at Eastern Illinois University, working a summer job at Pure Oil. They were married in 1959, lived in Fairbury, Illinois, for a short time, then moved to the Aurora area, eventually settling in North Aurora. She was a homemaker until her youngest son entered middle school, going to work for the Kane County Office of Education, from which she retired in 1997.

Jingle was an enthusiastic hobbyist, trying different new things all the time, delighted to share with anyone who showed an interest. A few hobbies came and went; others she held on to her entire life. She loved gardening and baking and knitting. She was a voracious reader. She taught herself to cook. She was a wonderful seamstress, making her own clothes, afghans, scarves, blankets, quilts, needlepoint, cross-stitch, etc. She made baskets, took cooking classes, refinished furniture and made metal flowers, most of it with a book on tape on in the background. She was active in the Child Welfare Society of Aurora, supporting Jack & Jill Nursery and hospital gift shop for many years, and later donated her time and sewing talents to an organization that handmade doll clothes for children.

The ultimate “band mom/grandma,” Jingle spent a lifetime attending band concerts in support of family members. Her family facetiously thought she might be in contention for a lifetime band concert attendance award. Her husband was a band director, she had a band director son and a band director daughter-in-law and had another son and four grandchildren who played instruments. Shortly after her husband retired, her grandchildren began an uninterrupted stretch of 19 years in the West Aurora schools band programs, whose concerts she dutifully attended.

She was a long-time member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, and later, New England Congregational Church.

She is survived by her sons, Jay (Denise) Harrison and Daniel (Sherri) Harrison; grandchildren Michael (Jamie) Harrison, Kathryn Harrison (Tyler Gallant), Kelsey Harrison and Kendall Harrison; brother Gary (Libby) Lathrop, and sister Ruth Ann McDowell (James Schneider).

She was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Dorothea (Pierson) Lathrop, and her husband, Richard E. Harrison.

She had the opportunity to develop and grow individual relationships with all of her grandchildren, each of whom are confident they were her favorite.

The family will celebrate her life in a private ceremony at a later date.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Homewatch Caregivers and Bickford of Aurora for the care Lynn received.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to JDRF, or the Amity Cemetery Association, 8325 East Illinois 250, Sumner, IL, 62466.