Melvine Morgan's earthly life came to an end on Friday, January 17, 2020. She breathed her last breath in the presence of her husband, Hugh Morgan, and her son, Greg Morgan, and Bonnie Bender, a retired nurse and a dear friend who ministered to Melvine until her death.
Melvine went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ at 4:49 p. m. on Friday, January 17, 2020, in our modest home in Winder, GA. She was officially pronounced dead by a hospice nurse at 5:54 p.m.
A one point during the day, Melvine opened her dark brown eyes and looked straight at me. She said, "I love you, Hugh." And I responded by saying, "Melvine I love you too, and I am glad you are my wife."
God gave me grace to release Melvine's soul and spirit from her body to go on to heaven and let her know how much I love her for her love, affection, faithfulness, and loyalty all the years of our marriage, 59+ years.
Coming to minister to us shortly after Melvine's death was our Hospice chaplain, William Collier Cato, and Pastor Terry Kesling, our pastor at Christian Life Worship Center in Athens, GA. Later, Joyce Hawkins, a public school teacher friend, and a committed and loyal member of our church, came to be with us and offer her assistance.
Two nurses from St. Mary's Home Hospice Care came to officially certify and register Melvine's death, to prepare her body for the funeral directors who came to take Melvine's body to the funeral home, Lord & Stephens' Funeral Home, 4355 Lexington Road, GA 30605 (US Highway 78), 706.546.1587.
On Thursday, our pastor, Terry Kesling and his wife, Pam, were at our home, along with some ladies from our church, in addition to Melvine, Greg and me. Bonnie Bender was ministering to Melvine as a nurse. Bonnie started singing the chorus, "Jesus, there's just something about that Name." We all joined in with her in singing, and our pastor helped us to sing better with his beautiful tenor voice. When we finished singing that glorious song, Melvine burst out in adoration, praise and worship as she spoke fluently in a heavenly language, or praying in tongues/praying in the Spirit, that lifted our spirits to an even higher plane of worship. That spiritual moment caught our attention and we were all amazed as Melvine poured forth her highest praise and worship to God in a language only God could give her to prepare her for her departure from this life to heaven a day later.
Greg and I along with our pastor, Terry Kesling will meet with our funeral directors on Saturday afternoon to plan the funeral service. Melvine and I have already selected the caskets we want and have paid for them. We are not sure when the memorial service will be, but we are looking for it to happen on Tuesday. It will be at our church, Christian Life Worship Center, located at 125 Kathwood Drive, Athens, Georgia 30607 (706) 353-1978.
When the final plans are settled, I will inform you.
Melvine will be laid to rest at our family cemetery plot at Athens Memory Garden, 5195 Lexington Road, Athens,
GA 30605 (US Highway 78, East). That is where our Stephanie has been buried. All of our names are engraved on the granite tombstone. Right now, it has the date of our birth, and we will have Melvine's date of death to be added as Stephanie's birth and date of her death that are engraved already.
I have asked Bishop Doug Beacham to preach Melvine's funeral. I felt it was fitting for our Presiding Bishop to speak at Melvine's Memorial Service because of her varied roles of leadership in the IPHC as a pastor's wife of four prominent Pentecostal Holiness churches (Brownville, Good Shepherd Church, Tarkenton Memorial Church, and Richmond First Pentecostal Holiness Church) in Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia, at Southwestern College as the president's wife, and the wife of an Air Force Chaplain, and of course for her love and respect for Bishop Doug Beacham. Our family is highly honored to have our General Superintendent speak. He spoke at our Stephanie's memorial service, on August 7, 2012, at Cornerstone Church of God in East Athens, about 2 miles east from the cemetery we have chosen for our burial until the rapture.
Melvine went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ at 4:49 p. m. on Friday, January 17, 2020, in our modest home in Winder, GA. She was officially pronounced dead by a hospice nurse at 5:54 p.m.
A one point during the day, Melvine opened her dark brown eyes and looked straight at me. She said, "I love you, Hugh." And I responded by saying, "Melvine I love you too, and I am glad you are my wife."
God gave me grace to release Melvine's soul and spirit from her body to go on to heaven and let her know how much I love her for her love, affection, faithfulness, and loyalty all the years of our marriage, 59+ years.
Coming to minister to us shortly after Melvine's death was our Hospice chaplain, William Collier Cato, and Pastor Terry Kesling, our pastor at Christian Life Worship Center in Athens, GA. Later, Joyce Hawkins, a public school teacher friend, and a committed and loyal member of our church, came to be with us and offer her assistance.
Two nurses from St. Mary's Home Hospice Care came to officially certify and register Melvine's death, to prepare her body for the funeral directors who came to take Melvine's body to the funeral home, Lord & Stephens' Funeral Home, 4355 Lexington Road, GA 30605 (US Highway 78), 706.546.1587.
On Thursday, our pastor, Terry Kesling and his wife, Pam, were at our home, along with some ladies from our church, in addition to Melvine, Greg and me. Bonnie Bender was ministering to Melvine as a nurse. Bonnie started singing the chorus, "Jesus, there's just something about that Name." We all joined in with her in singing, and our pastor helped us to sing better with his beautiful tenor voice. When we finished singing that glorious song, Melvine burst out in adoration, praise and worship as she spoke fluently in a heavenly language, or praying in tongues/praying in the Spirit, that lifted our spirits to an even higher plane of worship. That spiritual moment caught our attention and we were all amazed as Melvine poured forth her highest praise and worship to God in a language only God could give her to prepare her for her departure from this life to heaven a day later.
Greg and I along with our pastor, Terry Kesling will meet with our funeral directors on Saturday afternoon to plan the funeral service. Melvine and I have already selected the caskets we want and have paid for them. We are not sure when the memorial service will be, but we are looking for it to happen on Tuesday. It will be at our church, Christian Life Worship Center, located at 125 Kathwood Drive, Athens, Georgia 30607 (706) 353-1978.
When the final plans are settled, I will inform you.
Melvine will be laid to rest at our family cemetery plot at Athens Memory Garden, 5195 Lexington Road, Athens,
GA 30605 (US Highway 78, East). That is where our Stephanie has been buried. All of our names are engraved on the granite tombstone. Right now, it has the date of our birth, and we will have Melvine's date of death to be added as Stephanie's birth and date of her death that are engraved already.
I have asked Bishop Doug Beacham to preach Melvine's funeral. I felt it was fitting for our Presiding Bishop to speak at Melvine's Memorial Service because of her varied roles of leadership in the IPHC as a pastor's wife of four prominent Pentecostal Holiness churches (Brownville, Good Shepherd Church, Tarkenton Memorial Church, and Richmond First Pentecostal Holiness Church) in Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia, at Southwestern College as the president's wife, and the wife of an Air Force Chaplain, and of course for her love and respect for Bishop Doug Beacham. Our family is highly honored to have our General Superintendent speak. He spoke at our Stephanie's memorial service, on August 7, 2012, at Cornerstone Church of God in East Athens, about 2 miles east from the cemetery we have chosen for our burial until the rapture.