Collis Morris was born on November 23, 1951, in Indianola, Mississippi, to George Lemon and Ada Robinson Lemon. She was the fifth child out of ten children. Her family moved from Indianola, Mississippi, to Gary, Indiana, in 1952. She attended and graduated from Froebel High School in the Class of 1969, where she had a passion for biology. After graduation, she married Jerome Henry Nelson and gave birth to two children, Shonte’ (Nelson) Gordon and Michael Nelson.
Her husband, Jerome Henry Nelson, passed away four years into their marriage. She soon longed for a better life for her children and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1975. She pursued her passion for biology and attended Shelby State Community College (Southwest Community College). She received her Associate Degree and completed School of Nursing in 1983. She began her registered nursing career at The Med (Regional One) in downtown Memphis and worked there until 1989. She went on to work for a year as a case manager at Omni Care, which provided home health services. She truly enjoyed caring for geriatric patients, as she loved caring for her ailing mother, Ada Robinson Lemon. She decided to return to the halls of the hospital in 1991 at Methodist South in Whitehaven, where she retired in 2014. She also went on to marry her second husband, Mr. William “Mike” Morris.
Collis was a strong woman who loved her family with all that was in her. She loved her career as an RN nurse and her work family, but most of all, she loved the Lord. She gave her life to the Lord at an early age. She was a member of Rising Sun Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis, TN (Aaron Campbell Jr., Pastor). Collis was truly favored by God. She loved to sing, dance, cook, and travel. From cook-outs to birthday celebrations, Collis was always ready to enjoy life.
Collis leaves behind her beloved children, her son, Michael Nelson; her daughter, Shonte’ (Nelson) Gordon (Eric Sr.), her three beloved grandchildren, Eric Jr., Joshua, and Kristen Gordon; and her siblings, Wayne Robinson, Neil Lemon, Dexter Lemon, Joanne Miller (Thomas Ray), and Christine Cusic (Robinson). She also leaves behind a host of beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and two aunts. She was preceded in death by her parents, George Lemon and Ada Robinson Lemon; her brothers, Freeman “Louis” Robinson, George “Ray” Lemon, and Jack Lemon, and her sister, Ella Lemon.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18