Bettie Louise Morgan

                                     Evangelist Bettie Savannah Durden Morgan

Bettie was born the daughter of Omedia and Mittie Sims Savannah in Marshall, Texas on Monday, December 8, 1947. She departed this life to be with her Lord and Savior on Sunday, November 3, 2024 in Mineola, Texas.

She accepted Christ at an early age. She joined and was baptized at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Marshall where she served as an usher and sang in the choir. As a resident of Mineola, Bettie united with the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church where she remained a member in good standing until her death. Under the leadership of the current pastor, Reverend Demethrius Boyd, Bettie was ordained as an Evangelist, a position in which she served faithfully. She was the organizer of the “Disciples of Christ”, the Youth Department Praise Team, which resulted in her spending countless hours preparing them for competitions, and many times returning home with first place prizes. She was an avid Sunday school teacher who was always pouring knowledge into the youth.

Bettie was an energetic, spirit-filled, faithful, and God-Fearing believer, and a child of God who loved her Heavenly Father with all her heart, mind, and soul. She would often let you know who the head of her life was, who she was, and to whom she belonged. She had her B.A. degree (Born Again), her B.S. degree (Baptized and Sanctified), her PhD (Praised Him Daily) and ultimately, He was the center of her joy and the navigator of her fate.

As a child, she attended Marshall Public schools and was a member of the 1966 H. B. Pemberton High School Class where she participated in the marching band as a majorette. She was famously known for her high kicks. She later became the Drum Major. After high school graduation, she enrolled and graduated from Wiley College with a degree in Education in 1975. In August 1977, she completed requirements for a Masters Degree in the College Without Walls Program (Wiley College and Prairie View A&M University).

Her teaching career began in 1975 in Bossier City, Louisiana followed by Wills Point, Texas, where she was recognized as Teacher of the Year and Mineola, Texas. Upon her retirement from public education in 2002, Bettie completed the courses for certification as an aerobics instructor and became a Sunday School Publishing Board Certificate of Progress Program Instructor. She also volunteered at Kindness Kottage and served as a beloved Board Member. Bettie also performed in local theater and played the hand bells. Evangelist Morgan’s tireless faith led her to serving at local nursing homes, as well as visiting and ministering with the sick and shut-in on a regular basis.

Her parents, a sister, Jean Jordan, brothers, Joel, William, and Winston Savannah, and her husbands, Ephrain Durden, and Richard Morgan Jr., all preceded her in death.

Left to cherish her memories are her two sons, Joel D. Durden (Carla) of Josephine, TX; Andre’ Morgan (Ashli) of Whitehouse, TX; a brother, Ronald L. Savannah (Mildred) of Marshall, TX; GlamMa’s Glam kids, Adina N. Durden, Joel D. Durden II, Paisley Morgan, Naomi Morgan, Savannah Morgan, and Chloe Morgan; a sister-in-law, Shirley Savannah of Dallas, TX; a brother-in-law, Roosevelt Jordan, niece, Katrina Jordan - Watts, nephew, Omedia Brion Jordan, and grandniece, Chelsea Watts all of Marshall, TX; her closest friends, Verlinda McCalla, Linda Smith, Caroline Areia, Anthony Wright, and countless other friends.