Obituary of Rosalind Knott Harrell

Rosalind Knott Harrell was born on May 23rd, 1929 just after her twin sister, Rebecca (McKinley), on a farm in Granville Country, near Oxford, North Carolina. Her father, Sam Lee Knott, and mother, Lois Daniel Knott worked very hard during those years of the Depression to provide for their four children, including brothers Fred and Sam Jr.,a.k.a."Chet." They provided not only the basics of food and clothing during a time of scarcity, but also a love of family and care for the wider community, the belief in the value of education (her parents having attended Trinity College in Durham and East Carolina Teacher's College in Greenville, N.C.), and the importance of relationships, integrity, a sense of civic responsibility, a love for the people and mission of the church, all of these motivated by their love for and service to God. These values were passed on to each of their children, who grew up together learning lessons of survival and determination, grit, compassion and wry humor in the face of hardship. After attending schools in Berea and Oxford, Rosalind graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh with a B.A. in Religion, and later did graduate studies at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. On July 27th, 1952, Rosalind married Ralph W. Harrell, the love of her life for 65 years, giving birth to Stephen in '53, to Beverly in '58, and to Samuel in '63. She had received a "sense of call" to foreign missions since a child, and when Ralph joined her in that call, and they had been accepted and appointed by the Foreign Mission Board in Richmond VA., the young family boarded the New Amsterdam ocean liner in 1958, and after six weeks of traversing the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, arrived at their tropical coastal destination of Dar es Salaam (Place of Peace) in what was then Tanganyika, where they witnessed the establishment of the first Baptist church in East Africa. In 1962 they moved north to Nairobi, and later to Limuru in the highlands of Kenya. Rosalind was always fond of saying that they had lived in 23 different houses on the mission field! During the 35 years that she and Ralph were in Tanzania and Kenya, like most missionaries, Rosalind fulfilled many roles: wife, mother, mwalimu (teacher) of literacy, home economics and Bible study, writing and training teachers, catering for a conference center, and forming disciples of Jesus Christ. She was known far and wide for her wonderful meals as hostess par excellence. She was also known for her loving spirit, her sense of decorum and responsibility, balanced by a healthy love of laughter and mischief, her patience, clear thinking and gentle way with all. Upon retirement from the mission field and return to the U.S. in 1995, Rosalind dedicated herself to ministering in the life of refugee families, a women's weekly study of the Bible, and Mars Hill Baptist Church in Hillsborough, N.C., continuing to use her gifts, gradually pulling back as her health declined, having to be convinced that Being was just as great a ministry as Doing. Rosalind leaves behind a host of family and friends who will miss her deeply: her husband, Ralph, her two siblings, Fred Knott and Rebecca McKinley and their spouses Janet Knott and Hugh McKinley; their children Freida MacDonald, David Knott his children David Jr. and Brandon, and Paul Knott (father of Zachary and Daniel), Marsha McKinley, Dale McKinley, Margaret Fortenberry and her two children Bethany and Carissa; (Rosalind's) three children, Stephen Harrell, Beverly Barnett and Sam Harrell, and their spouses Daniela, Jim and Melody, whom she loved without reserve; and their children, all now "twenty-somethings" of whom "Shosho" was so proud: Jonathan Harrell, Catherine, Deborah and Steven Barnett, Corwin, Chris, and Carter Harrell. Rosalind died in Duke Regional Hospital on Wednesday morning, September 27th, 2017. Arrangements are being handled by Walker Funeral Home in Hillsborough. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 4th, at 2:00 pm. at the First Baptist Church of Hillsborough, North Carolina, followed by a reception and time to visit with the family. In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation to the Rosalind Knott Harrell and Rebecca McKinley Mission Fund - The Charitable Endowment Fund (established at Enon Baptist Church) by writing a check payable to this fund (name in bold) and mailing it to: N.C. Baptist Foundation, Inc., 201 Convention Drive, Cary, N.C. 27551-4257.