Marsha Ann Jemison Harden, loving wife and mother, passed away on All Saints Day, November 7, 2021
at the age of 67. Marsha was born on November 4, 1954, to the late Marshall and Margie Jemison in
Mobile, Alabama. She graduated from W. P. Davidson High School in 1973 and attended the University
of South Alabama earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and certification to teach. In
December 1978, she married James T. Harden and moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. She worked at Oak
Ridge National Laboratory in toxicology assisting researchers in developing procedures, methods, and
experiments. In 1981 she moved to the Houston area and began her career as an educator. She taught
the sciences in Fort Bend Independent School District and the Katy Independent School District until
retiring in 2013. In 2003, Marsha and James adopted their daughter Sarah. Marsha considered the
adoption of her daughter the most important event in her life. She continued working with children
after retiring by tutoring and through her church. Marsha is survived by her husband James, her
daughter Sarah, her sisters Sandra and Cindy, nieces and nephews, and numerous aunts, uncles and
cousins.
Marsha was passionate about education, gardening, the parks, and the beach. Besides her hobby of
gardening, she enjoyed painting, travel and reading. As an educator and someone from modest means,
she understood how an education could improve your life and open doors to many possibilities. She
loved working with students, especially the little ones. After retirement, she volunteered to tutor
elementary school kids and taught Sunday school and vacation Bible school with her daughter. She
spent many hours in her garden not just for herself but for the enjoyment of her neighbors and by
others as they pasted by and saw the colorful plants and flowers. Marsha never met a nursery or garden
center she didn’t like.
She was a determined individual. After a car accident that crushed her ankles, she wouldn’t cancel a trip
planned to Yellowstone National Park; not knowing if she would walk again. Five months after the
accident, she was walking the trails at the park. Marsha practically grew up on the beach and swimming
in the Gulf. She had fond memories as a child of going out on her grandfather’s shrimp boat and
spending time on the beaches near Gulf Shores, Alabama. Her last road trip was to the beach to feel the
sand beneath her feet, the sea breeze on her face and watch the waves roll in.
November 4, 1954 - November 7, 2021
A service will be held at Faith United Methodist Church in Richmond, Texas. Services will be conducted in Mobile, Alabama, at Cottage Hill Memorial Funeral Home and graveside at Mobile Memorial Gardens.
