Christie, Marie Harrell

12/26/2013

DECEMBER 2, 1923 - DECEMBER 26, 2013

Marie Harrell Christie, age 90, died December 26, 2013. She was the daughter of Rev. Van Wesley Harrell and Lula
Brady Harrell and married to James Edward Christie for almost 60 years. She is survived by a son, James Kenneth
Christie and his wife Phebe Duff, a grandson Aaron Christie and a sister Virginia Shreeve of San Diego, CA and her
children Kay Marie, Michael and Jane Lea.

She was a wonderful wife, loving mother, sister and aunt; and a friend to many. At age 15, her father's church
bought an organ with no one available to play it. So, after traveling to Little Rock weekly for lessons she became the
church's organist. At that time, funeral homes, in much the same situation, began buying organs. She would often
need to skip and then make up high school classes to help with funerals; until she could teach someone to play for
them. Marie graduated from Stuttgart High School and attended Hendrix College, colleges in Louisiana, Southern

Methodist University and Columbia University. She was active in the American Guild of Organists in Dallas, TX
and in every church choir where she and her husband served. She was also a talented and trained soprano singing in
all their church choirs and, later the Cantorias women's choir in Little Rock, AR.

Having married a United Methodist Minister, together they served churches in Louisiana and Arkansas. Later they
traveled all over the US for the General Board of Global Ministries. Home was wherever she and James were
together. Family, service and hospitality were the cornerstones of her life.

We are all the richer for having known her.

Following a burial at Rest Hills Memorial Park, in North Little Rock; a memorial service will be held Friday, January 10th at 11:00 at Saint James United Methodist Church.