H. Dean Morris

The Reverend H. Dean Morris died at his home surrounded by family on July 9.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Carol and is survived by six children, a dozen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

All are welcome at a celebration of Dean Morris’ remarkable life at 12 noon Saturday, July 13 at Pinnington Funeral Home in Auburn, to include special music from Brenda Morris and a message from Pastor Nick Rodman of New Life Baptist Church in Auburn. 

Viewing is open to the public Friday evening, July 12, from 6 to 8 pm and Saturday from 11 am to noon.

Dean Morris was reverent, humble, hard-working, laconic, and stern, but also quick to find humor in any situation. He disliked crowds and avoided long lines, but he loved - and loved being with - his large, loud family.

Last summer, the brothers of Dean’s best friend told a story about how their mom and his mother, Violet, put their six-month old babies on a blanket together. It’s said that John Gross and Dean Morris decided right then and there to be best friends and shook hands on it.

Dean grew up in Line Creek Holler in Nicholas County, West Virginia. His dad, Huling Franklin Morris, known to all as Pete, worked for Peter’s Creek Coal Company mines until his sudden death of a heart attack. Dean was just 17 years old. 

After high school, not knowing what to do with his life, he was sitting on the “loafer’s bench” in town when John Gross saw him and brought him to work on the railroad. Dean stayed with the railroad for ten years, working the rail line between West Virginia and Chicago.

Stuck in Elkhart, Indiana for a job, John Gross - once again - decided he’d take Dean to cruise Main Street. That night Dean met Carol June Stull, known to all as Cookie, who would become his best friend, life partner, and wife of 63 years. 

Cookie was young and divorced, with two little boys. A month after he turned 20 years old, Dean became the husband, dad, and breadwinner for a family of four. Cookie’s boys were adopted, another son and a daughter were born soon after, and a few years later a set of twins arrived. By age 30, his was a family of eight. Thus, Dean’s large and loud and much-loved family. 

Taking his electrical and mechanical skills from the railroad to work for the phone company, Dean settled his family in Elkhart, opening a new chapter in their lives. It was around then that Cookie started going by Carol.

They worked the large garden at Carol’s parents’ house, which kept them fed throughout the year. They found a church where Dean served as deacon, Carol played piano, and the kids attended youth group. After his brother’s sudden death of a heart attack, Dean started running and gave up his nightly bowl of ice cream for a nightly bowl of popcorn.

Scripture reading and prayer every morning. Evenings working in the garden. Saturday repairs and improvements around the house. Sunday church, midday meal, and an afternoon nap. A little soft shoe routine in the kitchen when his heart felt light. Reading the evening paper amid the low-level chaos of a house full of kids. Popcorn.

Then, after some 15 years of living, working, and raising kids in Elkhart, Dean felt the Lord call him to the ministry. He left his job with the phone company and moved Carol and their two youngest children to southern Indiana where the twins finished high school and Dean completed seminary at the Boyce Bible School at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He pastored his first church there in Crawford County and deeply loved the congregation and sense of community.

Auburn, Indiana, was home for another 20-some years. Here, he pastored, officiated weddings and funerals, ministered at a jail and a truck stop, put in phone systems, fostered teenagers, delivered cars, grew tomatoes, and spent hours drinking coffee and reading newspapers. He liked his coffee hot, black, and preferably free.

Dean led his life with integrity, seriousness of purpose, strength, and profound humility. His sense of humor never failed him, though it was often corny. 

Dean and Carol shared every aspect of their lives together. His heart broke when she died last May. Yet he went on loving his children and the dozen grandchildren they gave him. He had a deep reverence for God, sturdy love for family, and boundless faith in the good we can do here on Earth. 

For all who loved and were loved by him, Dean’s remarkable life forever will echo in ours.

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