Lorna Barbara Morse, age 90, died on July 19, 2021, in Lansing, Michigan. Lorna is survived by her brother Clayton Lee of Folsom, CA; her children, Daniel Kitch (Dorinne) of Kuchen, Germany; Ellen Nelson (Doug) of Williamston, MI; Sue Jansen (Curt) and Jim Kitch (Rhonda Metzer) of Grayling, MI; Isis Joy Buckwheat of Eugene, OR; and George J. Morse (Summer) of Oscoda, MI; her 20 grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, George Henley Morse of Grayling, Michigan; her grandson Steven McEvers; and by her first husband, Dwight Roger Kitch of Grand Rapids, MI. Lorna was born on October 12, 1930, in East Lansing, Michigan. Her parents were Grant Longenecker and Irma (Whittemore) Longenecker.
Lorna enjoyed singing, drumming, and dancing, but she’ll be remembered most for the unconditional love she had for her family, friends, and anyone in need. Lorna was passionate about helping others, and actively pursued opportunities to volunteer in her church and community. From teaching Sunday school, to leading the church choir, to her work in the PTA, to helping teach delinquent youth to read, to feeding the hungry, to promoting peace, to supporting candidates with her political activism, to promoting the arts, Lorna was never a person to say no when called upon to do good. Lorna was instrumental in founding a food pantry at the Michelson Memorial UMC in the 1980’s. The Michelson food pantry spurred other local churches to do the same, and the merger of them became the Crawford County Christian Help Center, serving local needs to this day.
In the 1990’s Lorna served alongside her husband and pastor Rev. George H. Morse at Glennie UMC of Glennie, MI and Sunnyside UMC of Curran, MI. Lorna’s love of the arts extended to the Grayling area dinner theater where she performed in several singing and dancing roles along with her husband, George. In her later years, she was a volunteer for the AuSable Artisan Village of Grayling.
Please join the family at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 21 for a memorial service at the Michelson Memorial United Methodist Church of Grayling with a reception to follow; Rev. Rich Burstall presiding. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Lorna’s life. Flowers can be sent to Michelson Memorial UMC at 400 Michigan Ave., Grayling, MI 49738.
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