Edna Ruth Morgan

Ruth Morgan, age 80, passed away on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at Oktibbeha County Hospital Regional Medical Center in Starkville, Mississippi, surrounded by her loving family. Funeral services will be Monday, June 19 at 2 p.m. in the Nowell-Massey Funeral Home Chapel in Louisville, Mississippi, with Rev. Tim Sisk and Cody Prewitt officiating. Visitation will be the day of the service at Nowell-Massey Funeral Home in Louisville from 1 p.m. until service time. Interment will immediately follow the service in Odd Fellows Cemetery on University Drive in Starkville, Mississippi. At the age of fifteen, Ruth worked as a student secretary at Mississippi State University while in high school. After graduating from Starkville High School, she attended MSU graduating in 1965 with her bachelor’s degree in education. Ruth began her professional career as an educator in Sayre, Alabama, where she taught Office Practices. After teaching, she came back to MSU, as an Office Administrator in the MS Extension Entomology department. She then received her Master’s in Agricultural and Extension Education with a focus in Entomology. While working as an Office Administrator, she also was privileged to be the first professional woman to be employed in agriculture by the Mississippi Extension Service. She was the first woman in the United States to be a Pesticide Coordinator/Specialist, and the first woman to ever serve on the executive board of Mississippi Entomological Association. She completed her professional career of 42 years at MSU in 2002. She was a member of many honor societies and civic clubs. After retirement, she was an avid historian of Starkville and Oktibbeha County. She wrote weekly articles for the Starkville Daily News about Starkville and Oktibbeha County. Ruth was a member of the Starkville Church of God. For the last 30 years, she had attended First United Methodist Church of Starkville. Ruth is survived by her sister Faye Jones of Gautier, Mississippi, and Janie Loveless and husband, Ira, of Starkville, Mississippi. She is also survived by her loving nieces and nephews: Lane Jones, Bart Jones, Stacie Jones (John) Harper, and Cindy Benson (Heath) Prewitt. One of her greatest joys was being “Foo Foo” to her great-nephews and great-nieces: Cody Prewitt, Seth Prewitt, Tori Jones, Kylie Jones, Peyton Jones, Presley Jones, Parker Jones, Morgan Lander, Johnnie Lynn Harper, and Hylie Brooke Harper. She was preceded in death by her parents, George Smithers “Coty” and Gertrude Hughes Morgan; and her sister, Peggy Morgan. Serving as pallbearers are Bart Jones, Lane Jones, Mike Hemphill, Morgan Landers, Peyton Jones, and Parker Jones. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Edna Ruth Morgan Memorial Scholarship (400206) at Mississippi State University Foundation, P. O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762. Online donations may be made at msufoundation.com and designated for the Edna Ruth Morgan Memorial Scholarship. The family would like to give a special thanks to Laclaudica Perry, caregiver and friend, during Ruth’s last few years. The family would also like to thank Elaine Hemphill, cousin, and Perian Kerr, friend, for their weekly visits. Services are under the direction of Nowell-Massey Funeral Home, 724 North Columbus Avenue, Louisville, MS. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family by signing the guest register at www.nowellmasseyfuneralhome.com.

Edna Ruth Morgan

August 19, 1942 - June 14, 2023

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Edna Ruth Morgan

August 19, 1942 - June 14, 2023

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

Plan Ahead

About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

Contact Information

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