Ethel Louise Stevenson Morrison, 96, of Statesville, North Carolina, passed away on August 6, 2026. Born July 25, 1930, in the Loray community of Statesville, Ethel lived a long full life defined by fierce independence, strong work ethic, and direct practical loyalty to those around her.
Growing up in Loray, Ethel learned early the values of resilience and self-reliance. She was a woman of clear-eyed purpose and firm devotion, choosing to show her care through dependable action rather than pretense or fuss.
Ethel was a lifelong member of Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville. She worked for Flexnit and then Bali for many years, bringing discipline and rock-solid reliability to her career. Outside of work, her sharp energy and competitive spirit truly took center stage.
Ethel, a formidable Senior Olympian athlete competed across thirteen distinct disciplines—including softball throw, football throw, bowling, golf, walking, billiards, horseshoes, the standing long jump, and the running long jump. Over her many years of participating in the Senior Games she earned multiple medals, approaching every competition with grit, intensity, and a drive to win.
At home, Ethel kept her mind active and her hands busy. She was a voracious reader who could power through books with ease, and she took immense pride in working outdoors, whether cultivating her flower beds or tending to her beloved vegetable garden.
Ethel was married to A. C. Morrison, Jr., for 47 years, building a grounded, durable partnership rooted in mutual respect and shared commitment.
In addition to her husband, A.C., Ethel was preceded in death by her father, Lewis Washington Stevenson; her mother, Margaret Catherine Shell Stevenson; her son, Randolph Lee Morrison; her brothers, John Louis Stevenson, Charles Stevenson, and William "Bill" Stevenson; and her sisters, Lina Murdock and Dorothy Beckham.
She is survived by her daughter, Kathy Marlene Morrison Howard of Harmony; her son, Michael Lynn Morrison (Shay) of Mills River; her brother, Frank Stevenson (Lucy) of McLeansville; her sister, Nancy Caselles of Winston-Salem, ; her grandchildren, Randy Morrison, Jr. of Ballard, West Virginia; Ronnie Morrison of Statesville; Angela Frazier Duncan of Charlotte; Sandy Reigle of Rural Hall; Dana Frazier Pearson of Indian Trail, Becky Johnson of Statesville; Daniel Morrison of Statesville; Maxwell Morrison of Hickory; Shawyn Rojzman of Granite Falls; and a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and extended family also survive.
The family will receive friends at Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home in Statesville, North Carolina on Friday, August 14, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. A funeral service will follow in the Chapel of Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home at 11:00 am with Pastor Darren Johnson officiating. Interment to follow at Iredell Memorial Gardens in Statesville where she will be laid to rest next to her husband.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, Texas 75284-0692 (www.heart.org); the American Lung Association, 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150, Chicago, Illinois 60601 (www.lung.org); or the Alzheimer's Association, 225 North Michigan Avenue, Floor 17, Chicago, Illinois 60601(www.alz.org).
Condolences and messages of sympathy may be shared online at www.bunchjohnsonfuneralhome.com
