The Legacy
Ours is a legacy that began at the turn of the 20th century, along dusty gravel roads, in a remote and quiet corner of Mississippi. There, from one man came a thousand dreams, a thousand triumphs, a thousand stories - each worthy of being told. We've ministered to congregations and led thousands to faith. We've met with world leaders. We've healed the sick, given sight to those unable to see, and provided ability to those left injured or immobile. We've been a voice to the world, through song, through prayer, through acting, through reporting, and through public speaking. We've fed multitudes. We've brought our imaginations to life with apparel, with art, and with literature. We've started businesses, charities, churches, foundations, and even neighborhood associations. We've educated countless youngsters. We've protected our communities and our country. We've set records and won awards, both, as athletes and as coaches. We've made discoveries in laboratories, erected homes and buildings across cityscapes, and invented products in workshops. We've been fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, uncles and aunts - and, yes, cousins. Indeed, from one man, we've realized four and five generations of possibilities, while never wavering from the importance of the values he imparted. That is what it has meant to be HARRELL STRONG.
Jade Harrell
Amite Co., Mississippi
About the Family
Our History
Jade Harrell was born to William Harrell, 34, and his wife Irene Durham Harrell, 31, in Amite County, Mississippi, in 1896. William, born into slavery on the Little Egypt Plantation, which extended from Mississippi to what is now East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, was the son of Franklin Harrell, the owner of the property and a descendant of Levi Harrell.
Hailing from the Carolinas, Levi Harrell was a marksman in the new American military after the republic’s war for independence from the British. The Harrell family was prolific in that region of the country, and today, places like Harrellsville, North Carolina, are known to have their roots in the Harrell bloodline. Levi relocated his family, chattel slaves, and animals to the southwestern corner of the Mississippi Territory bordering what was then a Spanish colony (the Florida Parishes of Louisiana) in 1802; however, months later, as they made the journey down the Mississippi River, Levi died. His family pressed on and settled the remote area.
By the early 1900’s, Jade Harrell married Fannie (or Dorah). The two went on to have the following children: William, Joshua, Emanuel, A.J., Tillman, Izeir, Mary Ruth, Idella, Azerlia, Roseanne, Louisah, and Lucinda. Other children either died before or at childbirth or before adulthood.
The death of Franklin Harrell is believed to have led to a racially-charged incident that forced the family to flee their home in the cover of darkness. First-hand accounts of the incident have been lost to time, but what is known is that the family resettled in a secluded home along Hamp Lea Road, on the far eastern side of Amite County, Mississippi. In time, Jade would pastor a small church along the quiet country road, just across the narrow Tickfaw River.
After the death of his first wife, in the mid-1900’s, Jade married Burnadine Scott. He was thirty-one years her senior, a fact affirming a common and unspoken practice during that time. The two went on to move to neighboring Pike County for a time, later returning to Amite County and establishing the rural homestead that we know today as Harrell's Hill. Together, Jade and Burnadine had the following children: Lucy Lorraine, Delorise, J. Lee, Mable, Hilton, Robert, Ellis Ray, and George.
Jade passed in 1967, and his wife Burnadine passed in 2007. Through their progeny, they have left a distinct legacy – one shared by an ever-growing number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even subsequent generations. Many of these people have gone on to become leading figures in their respective spheres of influence, and as they chart their paths forward, each carry with them an understanding of the values passed down from their forebearers – values stressing the importance of faith and family.
It is from their history that the Harrell family understands its purpose. It is from their history that remains HARRELL STRONG.
Stay in Touch
You are welcome to keep coming back here to see new content. With the family news letter, you can also get updates on new posts and upcoming events.