Rev. Morris Bearden

Morris Quentin Bearden, 74, of Emerson went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, November 26th at Kennestone Hospital in Marietta. The youngest child of William Roland Bearden and Ethel Millsap Bearden, Mr. Bearden was born and raised in Atco, a fact of which he was very proud. He had been a resident of Emerson for the past 52 ½ years after his marriage to his wife, Barbara Bearden, on April 14, 1962.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Bearden was preceded in death by a sister Faye B. Bahr and her husband William C. Bahr and three brothers, Edward Bearden, Ray Bearden and Wallace Bearden as well as his in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Bearden.

Mr. Bearden lived a happy and full life always having a smile on his face and an encouraging word. He was also quite the jokester and loved to make others laugh. He never met a stranger and considered everybody he met as his friend. He was a 1958 graduate of Cass High School. He was employed by Union Carbide/Clorox for 34 years before retiring in 1992. In 1968, at the age of 28, he was ordained as a minister by Emerson Baptist Church. For the next 28 years, he pastored a number of churches in Bartow and surrounding counties before his health began to fail. He preached in many revivals, conducted many funerals and officiated at many weddings over the years. During his lifetime, Mr. Bearden impacted many lives through his ministry and friendship. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Woodstock where he previously taught Sunday school and was a member of the senior adult choir. He enjoyed visiting local churches, especially those that he had once pastored.

Mr. Bearden is survived by his devoted wife, Barbara, sons, Jeff Bearden and his wife Melissa of Adairsville and Darrin Bearden and his wife Ingrid of Alpharetta and daughter Kerri Holmes and her husband Michael of Kennesaw. He and Barbara were blessed with eight grandchildren, Michael and his wife Kelli, Taylor and his wife Marissa, Andrea, Adriana, Mariana, Esther, Ethan and Evan. He loved them all very much and was looking forward to the birth of his first great grandchild. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law, Margaret Bearden of Madison, Wisconsin, Lucille Bearden of Marietta, and Lorene Bearden of Emerson and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Henry Wendell and Charlotte Bearden of Charlotte, North Carolina, a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and many, many friends.

Visitation will be Saturday, November 29 from 4:00pm until 8:00pm at Owen Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Sunday, November 30th at 3:00pm at Pine Grove Baptist Church with Dr. Johnny Hunt, Rev. Charles Garrett, Rev. Marvin Gunter, and Ron O’Kelley officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Paulbearers include Michael Bearden, Taylor Bearden, Charles Greenway, Joel Layton, Larry Woodring, Robert Ritch, Marvin McWilliams, and Jerry Bearden. Honorary paulbearers will be Wendell Bearden, Jimmy McEver, C.E. Popham, Bobby Gayton, Harold White and Jimmy Childress.

Please visit www.owenfunerals.com to leave condolences for the family.

Owen Funeral Home, 12 Collins Dr., Cartersville, GA, has charge of the funeral arrangements.