Mr. Bert Reid Morgan

Funeral services for Bert Reid Morgan, 88, of Cullman will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 3, 2010, at St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church, Pastor Bob Kurtz, Rev. Delwin Kilgo and The Rev. Bob Blackwell officiating, with burial in Cullman City Cemetery. Mr. Morgan will lie in state from 2 to 3 p.m. at the church.

Moss-Service Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Morgan passed away Sunday, Feb. 28, at Cullman Regional Medical Center. He was born March 17, 1921, in West Point, Ala., to J.D. and Annie Reid Morgan. He was married to Mary Elizabeth Lovelady Morgan.

Bert attended grade school at West Point, and at the age of 16, he was in the second class to graduate at West Point High School. He entered the University of Alabama in September 1938 and received his B.S. degree in advertising and selling in three-and-a-half years at the age of 20.

Early in life, he learned the importance of working hard and helping his community. J.D. and Annie Morgan operated the general merchandise store in West Point where they bought and sold farm products and handled everything from food and clothing to fertilizer. The Morgans always encouraged their son to be involved in the business and to get to know the local people. When TVA came to Cullman County, J.D. Morgan added a line of electrical supplies and appliances to his store. Although Bert was only 14 years old, J.D. put his son in charge of the appliance department. Bert made numerous house to house contacts to sell these appliances, and this was his first success in the sales field.

After graduating from the University of Alabama in January 1942, Bert found himself at the beginning of World War II, and he took a temporary job making rifle and cannon powder for the government in a defense plant with E.I. DuPoint at Childersburg, Ala. The following October, he left DuPoint to enter Naval Cadet Training at Howard College in Birmingham, Ala. From Birmingham, Bert went to Auburn for further flight training. As a University of Alabama graduate, he always enjoyed telling the story that he not only went to Auburn University, but that he lived in a former women's dorm — then Alumni Hall. Morgan went to Athens, Ga., for pre-flight training at the University of Georgia. Fulfilling a lifelong desire to fly, Bert received his wings as a Navy pilot at Corpus Christi, Texas, in August 1944. The day after graduation, he left for home and the following day, Bert married Mary Elizabeth Lovelady. Bert and Mary returned to Corpus Christi where Bert was assigned to a bomber squadron for operational training. This assignment took the Morgan's to Lake City, Fla., and to Beaufort, S.C. For fleet assignment, Bert and Mary were sent to Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Bert flew submarine patrol. While in New York, the Morgan's first son, Don, was born at the Brooklyn Naval Yard Hospital. When Don was four days old, Bert was transferred to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he flew air-sea rescue. He also spent time in Curaico, Havana, and other Caribbean ports. Bert flew PBYs and PB4Y2s, which are the Navy's version of the B24 bomber. After Lieutenant Morgan's release from the Navy, he stayed active in the Navy "Weekend Warriors" in Birmingham. Since that time, he has been a member of the PBY Catalina International Association.

On March 17, 1947, Bert's 26th birthday, J.D. and Bert R. Morgan formed a partnership and founded Morgan Oil Company. They started the business with one station which had two gasoline pumps in front of an old mule barn. Morgan Oil grew to serve over 40 retail stations in addition to farm and commercial accounts throughout Cullman County and surrounding areas. The company will celebrate it's 63rd anniversary March 17, which would have been Bert’s 89th birthday.

After coming back to Cullman and starting the family company, Bert and Mary had a daughter, Dianne, and a son, Don. As the family and business grew, Bert's community involvement expanded. He was a member of Cullman's "Flying 50." This civic-minded group of men began a drive for industrialization in Cullman County. Uninvited and with no appointment, the "Flying 50" flew on a National Guard plane and chartered commercial planes to Jacksonville, Fla. At their own expense, they rented a hotel ballroom to meet with tobacco magnate, Carl Swisher. This meeting resulted in the King Edward Cigar plant locating in Cullman. This was just the beginning. Soon Cullman Products, Bendix-Westinghouse, Daubert Chemical, John Bagwell Poultry, Porter Mills and National Screw, just to mention a few, were added to the list of industrial expansion. In 1998, the "Flying Fifty" were awarded the first Dr. E.G. Plunkett Visionary Award for their outstanding contribution to the industrial and economic development of the Cullman community.

Bert Morgan's sense of civic duty continued to be a part of Cullman's economic success story. Morgan was involved in the development of several residential areas in Cullman including Pinecrest Drive and Ridge Drive. He was also one of the five members of Cullman Industrial Aid which built the original industrial buildings for Kinder Manufacturing and Daubert Chemical.

On March 21, 1963, the Cullman Shopping Center opened for business furthering the economic growth of Cullman County. Bert Morgan along with Bert McGriff, Jack Evers, Noel Tidwell and Charles Bates, had the vision and the determination to develop this monumental project. Bert was always proud of the Cullman Shopping Center.

Bert Morgan was active in many civic, church and business organizations. He served as a director and the 1964-65 president of the Cullman Chamber of Commerce where he was active on the Industrial Committee for many years. Bert served as the 1964 President of United Fund and as chairman of the March of Dimes. He served the Boy Scouts of America for more than 60 years in various positions including scoutmaster, Cullman District Committee, and as a member of the Tennessee Valley Council and Greater Alabama Council Advisory Boards. Bert was a former member and past deacon of First Presbyterian Church. He was a Lay Board member at the former St. Bernard College. Bert was a past member of the Cullman Lion's Club, and a life member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 1609. He was a life member of the American Legion, Post Number 4. Morgan's involvement in the oil industry included serving on the Shell Oil Company's National Jobber Panel in 1966, serving as a director and the 1968-69 President of Alabama Petroleum Jobbers Association, and he served as director for National Oil Jobbers Council in 1975-76. He was a longtime member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Bert was made an honorary member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity when his son, Don was a student and TEKE member at Auburn University. When his son, Don was at Auburn University, Bert was also made an honorary member of Theta Chi Fraternity of which Dan was a member.

Bert R. Morgan was elected to the Cullman Masonic Lodge Dec. 8, 1952, initiated Dec. 15, 1952, and passed to the Degree of Fellow Craft on March 23,1953. On Aug. 10, 1968, Bert was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. He became a member of the Order of York Rite and the Order of Scottish Rite on May 15, 1976, and was a member of the Birmingham Metro Chapter No. 76, Council No. 43, and Cyrene Commandery No. 10. Bert became a member of the Zamora Shrine Temple on May 29,1976.

Bert Morgan continued to operate the family business with his son, Don Morgan, and son-in-law, Donnie Moyer. He remained active in civic concerns and was always ready to help further the growth of Cullman County. He was a member of St. John's Eveangelical Protestant Church. He loved Big Band music and entertaining in his home. He hosted Gov. Ronald Reagan in his home when the governor visited Cullman during his run for the U.S. Presidency.

Bert loved to travel. Some of his favorite places to visit included the Florida Keys, New Orleans, and the West Coast of California especially the wine country. A highlight for Bert and Mary was a trip with Bert and Berta Mae McGriff to Europe when they flew over on the Concorde and returned on The Queen Elizabeth II.

Bert loved his grandchildren. He was very involved in their lives and always interested in their endeavors. In turn, they loved him, and wanted him present for every important event that came along. They also loved to travel with Bert, and just two and one half years ago, Bert, Melanie, Steven and James Michael went to celebrate Octoberfest in Germany.

Bert will be remembered for his bi-annual Alabama party in Gatlinburg when Tennessee hosted the visiting Alabama football team. It was always a weekend of feast, fellowship, good music, and fun. Often times there were as many as 200 who attended the party.

Anyone who knew Bert, knew that he loved ‘Owls” His collection of hundreds of owls, displayed in his home and at his office, included owls of all kinds, and he loved them all.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; and a son, James Daniel “Dan” Morgan.

Survivors include his son, Donald Bert (Alice) Morgan; a daughter, Dianne Morgan (Donnie) Moyer; a granddaughter, Melanie Moyer (Steven) Williams; and a grandson, James Michael (Alison) Moyer.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church, Greater Alabama Council of Boy Scouts of America, Cullman County Cattleman's Association or to the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola.

Visitation will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at Moss-Service Funeral Home.