Geraldine Gaye Morrison

Born in Mt. Lookout, WVa, August 21, 1933 to Holt and Erna, she grew up among many uncles, aunts and cousins who all enjoyed family get-togethers through the years to visit, play music, make applebutter, share stories and memories, laugh and sometimes cry together.

Jerri's career as a teacher began there in a one-room schoolhouse where grades 1-8 all met together. She later moved to Chattanooga, TN and began teaching across the state-line in Walker County GA at Osburn Elementary where she retired from decades later after making lifelong friends with fellow staff.

She met and married the love of her life, Tom and they moved to Lookout Mountain, TN where son Danny soon came along. Her family expanded there from California to Michigan and Florida with inlaws.

They were members of St. Elmo Presbyterian Church until Danny reached teenage years and they then transferred to Duncan Park Baptist where she previously attended in college. They had remained members there since.

She greatly enjoyed her sewing machine and making costumes and stuffed animals for Danny, clothes, quilts with her Mother, and Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls as gifts to other children over the years.

Upon retirement, she took up a painting class and revealed another talent to us. While never quite meeting her own artistic standards, she was encouraged by others who were continually amazed at the beauty of her pieces.

As long as she was physically able, she was most often found weeding and planting in her flower beds and was a wealth of information to relatives and neighbors on gardening tips and types of plants. A gifting also shared by her Mother. She especially enjoyed exchanging seeds, bulbs and cuttings that represented memories and lives well-lived with others.

She was fashioned with a lifelong servant's heart and volunteered her early retirement time as a teacher's aid for a season. She was a faithful encourager, writing letters and chronicling life back-and-forth, and diligently sent out benevolence and well-wishing cards for their congregation.

She was a lovingly-devoted daughter, niece, cousin, wife, daughter & sister-in-law, aunt, Mom and friend and those who knew her even for a short time enjoyed her greatly, even across time and distance over the phone. She could naturally and easily listen and uplift and laugh and consistently was described as a dear and sweet lady with a sense of humor to boot.

She is greatly missed and leaves an unfillable and irreplaceable hole in our lives, but we are assuredly certain that in Jesus, this is not "goodbye", only "see you soon".

The family gives heartfelt thanks to the local first-responders, the ambulance personnel and staff at Erlanger over the recent holidays for taking care of her in the ER, NICU, the 7th floor and rehab as well as home-health to get her back on her feet at the house and as normal as a tiring, 89 year old woman could be, and to her two special cousins that graciously came in from out-of-state to help her get resettled as well.

We enjoyed a few more months together as she continued her own care over us as she always and faithfully had before, doing laundry, the dishes and making a pot of spaghetti with green beans and a grilled fish dinner, all as she was able; and of her comforting presence and companionship, before the LORD saw fit to pour out His mercy and grace, calling her Home to Heaven in such a tender, short time and manner, where she is now and forever healthy and whole and carefree, and praising her Redeemer with Halleluiah songs that the angels are unable to sing. We also thank the caring staff at Memorial for being with her in those days and hours.

The family asks any who wish to honor her with flowers or a gift to instead simply ask Jesus where that resource could be better spent for God's Kingdom; whether missions, a local fellowship or any leading that furthers people knowing forgiveness, healing and hope in Jesus, her Savior.

Her loved-ones were always and are still welcome, only please know the house is small with limited resources, so you'll fend for yourself during a longer stay.

Lastly, and most important, we feel confident that were she able to share any last, important, earthly thought with you, it would simply be that God has so much loved this world that He offered up His only Son Jesus in the place of all humanity, that whoever believes on Jesus will no longer be separated from God by sin and its justified death penalty, but receive immediate and eternal life to join us in Heaven one day with her. (From the Bible's biography of Jesus by the Apostle John, chapter 3, verse 16.) And, "For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:40)

"Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away;

To a Home on God's celestial Shore, I'll fly away!

When the shadows of this life have gone, I'll fly away;

Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I'll fly away!

Just a few more weary days and then, I'll fly away;

To a land where joy will never end, I'll fly away!

I'll fly away, oh, Glory! I'll fly away; (in the morning)

When I die, Hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away!"

-Albert E. Brumley, 1929

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.advantagefranklin-strickland.com for the Morrison family.

Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services, Franklin- Strickland Chapel on McCallie Ave., is in charge of the arrangements of Geraldine Gaye Morrison and asks that you share your memories of her and your condolences with her family on our website: www.advantagefranklin-strickland.com.