Mary Morrow

Mary Walker Morrow passed away on August 16, 2021, in Nashville, TN, at the age of 87 after battling Lewy Body Dementia. She was born November 8, 1933 to William Ethan and Jewell (Davidson) Walker. She was preceded in death by both of her parents.

Born in Fairview, MO and raised in Kansas City, KS, Mary graduated from Wyandotte High School. Shortly after graduation she worked as a secretary with Phillips Petroleum at their offices in Kansas City, and later, in Bartlesville and in Denver. She left Denver to pursue a college education at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX. There she was secretary to the chairman of the Bible Department while obtaining her BA degree in English and graduating Magna Cum Laude.

At Abilene she met and later married William Russell Morrow, Jr., of Selma, AL in Kansas City on September 2nd, 1963.  This year Mary and Russell would have celebrated their 58th anniversary.

Russell and Mary taught in Texas before moving to Selma, AL in 1971. Mary taught junior and senior high school English at Dallas County High School for three years before joining Selma City Schools at Eastside Middle School (later known as School of Discovery), where she once was named teacher of the week. After completing her master’s degree in library science from the University of Alabama, she later became the school librarian, retiring after 30 years of service. Mary was no stranger to working hard. In addition to teaching, she worked part-time as a librarian at Wallace Community College-Selma, was a beauty consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics and was a Tupperware saleswoman. With retirement not being her style, and a heart for service and her community, she worked for almost twenty years after retirement as a Research Librarian at the Selma-Dallas County Public Library until her health required full retirement in August 2019 at the age of 85.

Mary was compassionate towards others and active in supporting her community. As a church member, and a minister’s wife, she served on several committees, taught Bible classes, prepared meals for and visited those in bereavement or ill health, was a member and a historian of Christian Women’s Fellowship while attending Selma’s First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. She later attended and served as Historian at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church. Mary volunteered her time often and was secretary on the Advisory Council of Christian Services for Children in Alabama for several years. With a love the for the arts, she supported local authors and artists. Her presence in the Selma community will be sorely missed.

Her love and passion for her family was evident to all who knew her. She is survived by her husband, William Russell Morrow, Jr., daughter, Lydiabeth Morrow Haley (Troy), Nashville, TN, and son William Russell Morrow, III (Antaeres), Watsonville, CA, grandsons Townes Haley and William Russell Morrow, IV and granddaughter Astraea Morrow, sisters Ruth Kent, Roeland Park, KS and, Juanita Cates, Lenexa, KS, nephew Will Kent (Kristin), Overland Park, KS, great nephews Andrew, Aidan, Adam and great niece Anna, nephew Ethan Cates, Raymore, MO, great nephew Gabriel Carpenter-Cates, Olathe, KS, niece Rebecca Cates, Lenexa, KS, niece Michelle Morrow Allen (Pete), Mobile, AL, great nieces Rachel Allen, Mollie Allen, Mary-Morrow Allen, Niece Kelly Morrow, Selma, AL. great nephew Paul Underwood, Selma, AL and great niece Haley Neeley, Lebanon, TN.

Our family would like to thank Mary’s sister, Juanita Cates, and the care team at Traditions of Mill Creek Memory Care who cared for, loved, and walked this difficult journey with us. We would also like to thank our family and friends who have provided emotional and spiritual encouragement, guidance, and management. Everyone’s love and support sustained and guided us.

The family invites you to join them at a Celebration of Life Service to be held at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Selma, Alabama, Saturday, August 28th, 2021, at 1:00 pm with a Reception immediately following. Also planned is a family burial for Saturday morning at 10:00am at Pineview Memory Gardens with Lawrence Brown-Service Funeral Home directing. Due to the rise in COVID numbers, and for love and the safety of all, the family requests that masks be worn, and social distancing be practiced. If you forget your masks, we will have them available for you along with sanitary handwashing stations. We would love to be able to hug you and shake your hands, instead, we encourage you to give loving fist bumps or elbow touches.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial donations in Mary’s name be sent to the Selma-Dallas County Public Library, 1103 Selma Avenue; Selma, AL 36703.