1926
Elizabeth
2016
Elizabeth Morgan
March 15, 1926 — April 14, 2016
Elizabeth, who died on April 14, 2016 at NorthCare Hospice house in North Kansas City, was born in March 15, 1926, the daughter of Clara Ethel and Francis Marion Belote. Born in Humboldt, Tennessee, and raised with her older sister Dorothy Francis and with her first cousins Paul and Kitty Grimes in Dyersburg, Tennessee.
Elizabeth had a younger brother Robert, who is twelve years younger, and a younger sister Martha, who was fourteen years younger. Due to the gap in their ages, and life in Dyersburg, Tennessee in the thirties and forties it was almost as if they were separate families growing up Elizabeth dropped out of Dyersburg High School during her junior year of school go to work and to help support herself and her family. She was working at the local five and dime store she was to meet her future husband Edward Morgan. Eddie was sent by Libby’s brother-in-law, Malcom Brown to meet Kitty Grimes, where Kitty and Libby were working. The long curly chestnut hair, the wide smile and kind eyes caught Ed’s hear and never let him go. They danced and courted at the local U.S.O. Dances before Eddie left for England and his services to the U.S. Army Air Corp during WWII. Returning to Dyersburg, safe from his tour of duty in Europe as a crew member in B-17’s, Eddie rushed to court and to propose marriage for the second time. Eddie and Elizabeth were married by Chaplain Roger Makepeace, on June 20, 1945 in Dyersburg with her sister Frances as her attendant and witness, before quickly boarding a train to Roswell, New Mexico. They have five children; Patricia, Janet, Frank, Debbie and Michael. Their First daughter Patricia died at birth on January 17, 1947 and their youngest son Michael Edward died on September 8, 1960 after a life-long illness.
Libby and Eddie with their children came to Kansas City, Kansas to make their home; living next door to Ed’s parents William Franke and Leslie Morgan, after separating from the military in early 1955. Elizabeth and her son Frank were baptized and joined the London Heights Methodist Church together on a July Sunday in 1961 by Rev. Vernon W. Becker.
Elizabeth was the rock around which her family rotated. She kept the kids in school, encouraged their interests, managed the family’s modest finances and dearly loved her husband Edward. It was shortly after Michael’s death that finances were very short and the bills were long, that she told Eddie that she would get a job and help out. Eddie’s response was “How could you ever get a job?!” Elizabeth in her usual manner went out the very next day and was hired to work at Macy’s Downtown in fine jewelry and later in the stationary department. She worked for Macy’s full-time before retiring around 1985 and over twenty years of service.
Elizabeth in the child rearing years would begin her day between 5:30 and 6 AM. She would have a fresh hot breakfast of bacon and eggs on the table by 6:30 AM and then send Eddie off to work by 6:50 Am. Elizabeth would then shower, get dressed for work, pack school lunches, send the kids to school and then walk the four blocks to the old bus stop to take her downtown Kansas City, Missouri to work. This was her daily routine until Debbie graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1971. Elizabeth and Eddie continued to make their home in the old Kansas City, Kansas neighborhood until around 1974, and after two household break-ins decided to seek safer lodging. There was a long year for Elizabeth after Debbie’s marriage to Jim Melvin and his being stationed at Williams AFB in Chandler, Arizona. Upon returning to the Kansas City area, Debbie and Jim, Elizabeth and Eddie, jointly purchased a connected duplex and made their homes together side by side. Where Debbie and Jim still call home. Elizabeth proudly watched two of her grandsons. Stephen and David, grow from being infants into adult men, with their spouses and families of their own.
Upon retirement, Elizabeth and Eddie had a camper and toured all over, enjoying life together. Later they parked the camper by Lake Taneycomo and enjoyed Branson Missouri. After several years Branson started to become expensive and Elizabeth began to make clothes for teddy bears, embroidery of cotton cloth for wall clocks and other craft times. She and Eddie would spread their canvas shelter, unpack folding tables and display their various wares, seeing to sell them for a modest amount. While Eddie spread his infamous good-will and his never meeting a stranger attitude. In the early nineties, Eddie began to display the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the craft fairs stopped being fun.
After Eddies death and the February 2, 1995 funeral, Elizabeth and Debbie’s life began to be even more intertwined with weekend shopping, evening meals and Jim patiently and loving sharing life together. Elizabeth even during retirement painstakingly would fix her hair, meticulously dress and put on her make up as a part of her daily life. She also loved going to her hair-dresser, Maggie, who fixed her hair each Friday, before going out to eat together as a family. This was often with Jim and David or other family members together.
Elizabeth had her won physical struggles, with type II diabetes and non-Fatty Liver disease. At her demise, the liver disease overcame her body’s resistance and she passed blessedly and silently away at the NorthCare Hospice House of North Kansas City, Missouri on April 14, 2016.
She will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered. She is survived by first cousin Kitty Zeist, of Kerryville, Texas; daughter, Janet (the late Ronald) Sapp, of Forsythe, Missouri; son Frank (Sandra) Morgan, of Louisburg, Kansas; daughter Debbie (Jim) Melvin of Gladstone, Missouri. Also surviving are five grandchildren; Keri (Darcy) Sapp-Curtis, Stacy (Drew) Roberts, Michael (Kate) Morgan, Stephen (Laura) Melvin, David (Kari) Melvin; ten great-grandchildren; Brayden Shabdach - Melvin, Lexie Melvin, Reece Melvin, Joshua Morgan, Abagail Morgan, Patrick Morgan, Mason Roberts, Caden Roberts Chassie Curtis and Chastin Curtis.
In addition to her parents Elizabeth is preceded in death by her Husband Edward F. Morgan, daughter Patricia Morgan and son Michael E. Morgan.
Rev. Laura Murphy will officiate the funeral service at 11 AM, Monday, April 18, 2016 at Gashland United Methodist Church 7715 N Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, MO 64118. Visitation will begin at 10 AM, at the church. Memorial contributions in Elizabeth's memory may be made to NorthCare Hospice 2800 Clay Edwards Drive, Kansas City, MO 64116. Please share a message, memory or photo on this tribute page.
Elizabeth had a younger brother Robert, who is twelve years younger, and a younger sister Martha, who was fourteen years younger. Due to the gap in their ages, and life in Dyersburg, Tennessee in the thirties and forties it was almost as if they were separate families growing up Elizabeth dropped out of Dyersburg High School during her junior year of school go to work and to help support herself and her family. She was working at the local five and dime store she was to meet her future husband Edward Morgan. Eddie was sent by Libby’s brother-in-law, Malcom Brown to meet Kitty Grimes, where Kitty and Libby were working. The long curly chestnut hair, the wide smile and kind eyes caught Ed’s hear and never let him go. They danced and courted at the local U.S.O. Dances before Eddie left for England and his services to the U.S. Army Air Corp during WWII. Returning to Dyersburg, safe from his tour of duty in Europe as a crew member in B-17’s, Eddie rushed to court and to propose marriage for the second time. Eddie and Elizabeth were married by Chaplain Roger Makepeace, on June 20, 1945 in Dyersburg with her sister Frances as her attendant and witness, before quickly boarding a train to Roswell, New Mexico. They have five children; Patricia, Janet, Frank, Debbie and Michael. Their First daughter Patricia died at birth on January 17, 1947 and their youngest son Michael Edward died on September 8, 1960 after a life-long illness.
Libby and Eddie with their children came to Kansas City, Kansas to make their home; living next door to Ed’s parents William Franke and Leslie Morgan, after separating from the military in early 1955. Elizabeth and her son Frank were baptized and joined the London Heights Methodist Church together on a July Sunday in 1961 by Rev. Vernon W. Becker.
Elizabeth was the rock around which her family rotated. She kept the kids in school, encouraged their interests, managed the family’s modest finances and dearly loved her husband Edward. It was shortly after Michael’s death that finances were very short and the bills were long, that she told Eddie that she would get a job and help out. Eddie’s response was “How could you ever get a job?!” Elizabeth in her usual manner went out the very next day and was hired to work at Macy’s Downtown in fine jewelry and later in the stationary department. She worked for Macy’s full-time before retiring around 1985 and over twenty years of service.
Elizabeth in the child rearing years would begin her day between 5:30 and 6 AM. She would have a fresh hot breakfast of bacon and eggs on the table by 6:30 AM and then send Eddie off to work by 6:50 Am. Elizabeth would then shower, get dressed for work, pack school lunches, send the kids to school and then walk the four blocks to the old bus stop to take her downtown Kansas City, Missouri to work. This was her daily routine until Debbie graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1971. Elizabeth and Eddie continued to make their home in the old Kansas City, Kansas neighborhood until around 1974, and after two household break-ins decided to seek safer lodging. There was a long year for Elizabeth after Debbie’s marriage to Jim Melvin and his being stationed at Williams AFB in Chandler, Arizona. Upon returning to the Kansas City area, Debbie and Jim, Elizabeth and Eddie, jointly purchased a connected duplex and made their homes together side by side. Where Debbie and Jim still call home. Elizabeth proudly watched two of her grandsons. Stephen and David, grow from being infants into adult men, with their spouses and families of their own.
Upon retirement, Elizabeth and Eddie had a camper and toured all over, enjoying life together. Later they parked the camper by Lake Taneycomo and enjoyed Branson Missouri. After several years Branson started to become expensive and Elizabeth began to make clothes for teddy bears, embroidery of cotton cloth for wall clocks and other craft times. She and Eddie would spread their canvas shelter, unpack folding tables and display their various wares, seeing to sell them for a modest amount. While Eddie spread his infamous good-will and his never meeting a stranger attitude. In the early nineties, Eddie began to display the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the craft fairs stopped being fun.
After Eddies death and the February 2, 1995 funeral, Elizabeth and Debbie’s life began to be even more intertwined with weekend shopping, evening meals and Jim patiently and loving sharing life together. Elizabeth even during retirement painstakingly would fix her hair, meticulously dress and put on her make up as a part of her daily life. She also loved going to her hair-dresser, Maggie, who fixed her hair each Friday, before going out to eat together as a family. This was often with Jim and David or other family members together.
Elizabeth had her won physical struggles, with type II diabetes and non-Fatty Liver disease. At her demise, the liver disease overcame her body’s resistance and she passed blessedly and silently away at the NorthCare Hospice House of North Kansas City, Missouri on April 14, 2016.
She will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered. She is survived by first cousin Kitty Zeist, of Kerryville, Texas; daughter, Janet (the late Ronald) Sapp, of Forsythe, Missouri; son Frank (Sandra) Morgan, of Louisburg, Kansas; daughter Debbie (Jim) Melvin of Gladstone, Missouri. Also surviving are five grandchildren; Keri (Darcy) Sapp-Curtis, Stacy (Drew) Roberts, Michael (Kate) Morgan, Stephen (Laura) Melvin, David (Kari) Melvin; ten great-grandchildren; Brayden Shabdach - Melvin, Lexie Melvin, Reece Melvin, Joshua Morgan, Abagail Morgan, Patrick Morgan, Mason Roberts, Caden Roberts Chassie Curtis and Chastin Curtis.
In addition to her parents Elizabeth is preceded in death by her Husband Edward F. Morgan, daughter Patricia Morgan and son Michael E. Morgan.
Rev. Laura Murphy will officiate the funeral service at 11 AM, Monday, April 18, 2016 at Gashland United Methodist Church 7715 N Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, MO 64118. Visitation will begin at 10 AM, at the church. Memorial contributions in Elizabeth's memory may be made to NorthCare Hospice 2800 Clay Edwards Drive, Kansas City, MO 64116. Please share a message, memory or photo on this tribute page.
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