Julius L Morris

J.L. was the Morris’ only son in the middle of five sisters. He joined the United States Marine Corps when he was 18 years old and served honorably in the South Pacific until the end of World War II. With an eye on a career in ministry, J.L. enrolled at Howard College (Samford University) in Birmingham before transferring to Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. in 1949.

In between history courses and pickup baseball games, J.L. met a fellow Biblical Studies student, blue-eyed Betty Barge. They became fast friends and, after graduating from Bob Jones in 1950, married at First Baptist Church in Macon, Miss. They honeymooned in the Great Smoky Mountains, the first of many adventures over their 71 years of marriage.

After pastoring at Carson Baptist Church in Carson, Miss., J.L. dove deeper into his passion for scripture and teaching at New Orleans Baptist and Dallas theological seminaries. He joined The Evangelical Alliance Mission in 1952 and moved the growing Morris family to Latin America. J.L. and Betty served in Venezuela for 18 years while raising their four sons.

The Morrises returned to the U.S. in 1970 and started a Bible church north of Denver, Colo., before moving back to Mississippi. J.L. and Betty found a church home at Jackson’s Riverwood Bible Church, where J.L. served as an elder for nearly 40 years. When they weren’t in Jackson, J.L. and Betty were heavily involved in camp ministries at Lake Forest Ranch (LFR) in Macon. J.L. also hosted countless men’s Bible studies and never tired of purely, humbly sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone and everyone he encountered, including the doctors and nurses who cared for him in his final days.

While he loved teaching the Word of God above all else, J.L. was also a lifelong fan of the Atlanta Braves and University of Alabama football. In the appropriate seasons, J.L. made time to sneak away into LFR’s incomparable piney woods for early morning deer and turkey hunts with his sons and grandkids. He found great joy in wildlife encounters, Louis Armstrong’s Blueberry Hill, and Betty’s famous pies, or any dessert for that matter. Nothing brought a bigger smile to his face than playing with the newest additions to his family as he celebrated 12 grandkids, nine great-grandchildren, and at least five beloved Pomeranians.

J.L. is survived by his wife, Betty; his four sons, Steve, Kent, Randy, and Jon; his grandkids, Stephanie, Blake, Christine, Joy, Jared, Jesse, Hannah, Trish, Johanna, and Johann. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, grandchildren Kendra and Jason, and many treasured friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ.

The family extends deep gratitude to the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center’s amazing staff, who provided exceptional care for J.L. until his passing. Memorials may be given in J.L.’s honor to Lake Forest Ranch or Riverwood Bible Church. A celebration of J.L.’s amazing, faith-filled life will be held August 20, 2022 at 11 a.m. at Riverwood Bible Church.