Audrey Meldona Mason Morris

Audrey Meldona Mason Morris of Morganton died peacefully on Sunday, May 20, 2012. She was born on November 7, 1912 in McDowell County to the late Andrew Johnson Mason and Sarah Emma Woody Mason. After her mother’s death in the flu epidemic of 1918, she was raised by her father and her late paternal grandmother, Sarah Jane "Mammy" Grindstaff Mason.She lived 99 full and rich years. "Miz" Morris, as she was known to all the family she adopted, brought joy and wisdom to the people she knew, even the ones she had to set right. She loved people, quilting, painting and gardening, and she shared these joys with her children and grandchildren. She was deeply loved, and she will be profoundly missed.She lived most of her life in the Chesterfield community. She was proud to earn her G.E.D. in 1966. A dedicated member of Hartland Baptist Church, she taught Sunday school lessons there to young and not so young for more than 40 years. She was an active, generous member of the larger Morganton community. She was a teacher’s aide at Chesterfield Elementary. She owned Bristol Creek Ceramics and taught classes there for many years. She also taught quilting classes at her church and at the Burke County Senior Citizens Center through the Continuing Education program of Western Piedmont Community College. She volunteered as a 4-H club leader and at Burke United Christian Ministries.She is survived by her five children: Genelle Causby, Betty Smith and husband, Don Ervin Smith, Joyce Counihan, and Charlie Morris and wife, Olga all of Morganton, and John Morris of Eugene, OR; a sister, Nellie Mason Murdock of Troy, NC. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren: Fred and Amy Causby and their daughters, Courtney, Catherine, Carrigan and Camilia; Kathy and Butch McElhany and their daughter, Stephanie; Kim Smith and her two children, Emily and Ethan; Elisa Hunt of Eugene, OR; Clare Counihan of Durham, NC, Caroline Counihan and Jacob Counter of Smyrna, GA, and Sean Counihan and Storm Fuzzey of Dovedale Ranch, Botswana; Charles and Tracy Morris and their daughter, Serena; and Chesley and Bryan Merrill of Linville, NC, and their sons Evan of Boone and Ethan of Port Hueneme, CA; "adopted" family, Ray and Judy Dula; and numerous nieces and nephews. She leaves her companion, Little Bit, in the good care of Christopher Mayes. A special thanks is extended to the staff of Hospice of Burke County who cared for her so lovingly for sixteen months.In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Benjamin Crawford Morris; her grandson, Don Smith Jr.; her sister Pauline Mason Wilson; her brothers, Joe and Bud Mason; and step mother, Dessie Murdock Mason.A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 26, 2012 at Hartland Baptist Church with Rev. Matthew Grindstaff, Betty Rose Mackie, Ronald Poarch and the Rev. Shauna McGhee officiating. Burial will follow at Burke Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday at Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center. Memorial gifts may be made to the Mrs. Morris Organ Fund at Hartland Baptist Church, 3730 Hartland Rd., Morganton, NC 28655 or to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Rd., Valdese, NC 28690."As long as we remember her, she will be with us."