MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2020 By: Senator(s) Simmons (12th), Norwood To: Rules SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 18 1 A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE AND EXTENDING THE 2 CONDOLENCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE TO THE BEREAVED FAMILY OF 3 RESPECTED GREENVILLE CITIZEN AND DEMOCRATIC PARTY ACTIVIST RUTHIE 4 MAE RANSOM MORRIS. 5 WHEREAS, it is with sadness that we learned of the passing of 6 respected Mississippi Delta Citizen and Democratic Party Activist 7 Mrs. Ruthie Mae Ransom Morris; and 8 WHEREAS, Ruthie Mae Ransom Morris was born on October 24, 9 1942, in Leland, Mississippi, to Henry Parker Ransom, Sr., and 10 Blanche Johnson Ransom. She was the sixth of their ten children; 11 and 12 WHEREAS, Ruthie accepted Christ at an early age and was 13 baptized under the leadership of her uncle, Reverend Clarence 14 Johnson, who was the Founder and Senior Pastor of the Shady Grove 15 South Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi. 16 During her years at Shady Grove South Missionary Baptist Church, 17 Ruthie sang in the Senior Choir, typed and printed the Church 18 Bulletins, organized special events, and served as a trusted S. R. No. 18 *SS26/R991.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 20/SS26/R991.1 PAGE 1 (rdd\lr) 19 confidant and adviser to Reverend Clarence Johnson as well as to 20 his successor, Pastor Solomon B. Miller; and 21 WHEREAS, in 1997, Ruthie joined Agape Storge Christian Center 22 under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Paul Williams, who was a 23 lifelong family friend and former member of Shady Grove South 24 Missionary Baptist Church. During her years at Agape Storge 25 Christian Center, Ruthie served as a Greeter before answering 26 God's call to become an Ordained Minister. In 2011, Ruthie 27 obtained her Minister's License after graduating from the Agape 28 Storge Christian Center School of Ministry. She faithfully served 29 on the Ministry Team until April of 2019; and 30 WHEREAS, Ruthie was educated in the Bolivar County Public 31 Schools in Rosedale, Mississippi, and in the Greenville Public 32 Schools where she graduated from Coleman High School in the Class 33 of 1960. She also attended Alcorn A&M College in Lorman, 34 Mississippi, where she first majored in Early Elementary 35 Education. She was the first of her siblings to both graduate 36 from high school and attend college. After leaving Alcorn A&M 37 College, Ruthie returned home to Greenville where she worked as a 38 Secretary in the Greenville Public Schools at T.L. Weston High 39 School and E.E. Bass Junior High School before starting her 40 banking career as a Teller. Throughout her career in banking, she 41 worked at various banks, including Commercial National Bank, 42 Trustmark Bank, and Sunburst Bank, which later became Union S. R. No. 18 *SS26/R991.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/SS26/R991.1 PAGE 2 (rdd\lr) 43 Planters Bank before eventually becoming present day Regions Bank; 44 and 45 WHEREAS, after retiring from Regions Bank, in the summer of 46 1996, Ruthie was hired as the Office Manager at Infipro Security 47 before her love for both ministry and business led her to become 48 the Bookkeeper at the Salvation Army in Greenville, Mississippi. 49 She "officially" ended her work career when she retired from the 50 Salvation Army in 2012. However, in 2016, Ruthie was recruited to 51 become the Office Manager at Jackson Heating and Air Conditioning; 52 and 53 WHEREAS, despite being a working mom with three children, 54 Ruthie still found time to be civically and politically active in 55 her community. For more than 30 years, Ruthie served on the Board 56 of Directors of the Brent Daycare Center, which later became known 57 as the Greenville Daycare and Learning Center; and 58 WHEREAS, in addition to her civic engagements with several 59 organizations, including her beloved Coleman High School Class of 60 1960, Ruthie was passionate about politics. She canvassed Delta 61 neighborhoods and traveled around the State of Mississippi in 62 order to get Democratic candidates elected on the local, state and 63 national levels; and 64 WHEREAS, for many years, Ruthie was an active member of the 65 Washington County Democratic Party, and she worked closely with 66 the Democratic National Committee. She not only campaigned for 67 State Democratic candidates such as Robert Clark, but in 1987, S. R. No. 18 *SS26/R991.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/SS26/R991.1 PAGE 3 (rdd\lr) 68 Ruthie campaigned diligently to elect Mike Espy to the United 69 States House of Representatives, Mississippi's 2nd Congressional 70 District. Then, in 1993, she helped to secure victory for Bennie 71 Thompson when he successfully ran for Mississippi's 2nd 72 Congressional District seat after Mike Espy became the United 73 States Secretary of Agriculture. In 1988, while serving as the 74 Precinct Captain of Precincts 3-1, Ruthie galvanized the highest 75 voter turnout in the precinct's history, which played a pivotal 76 role in electing Mississippi's 60th Governor, Raymond Mabus, Jr. 77 In 1993 and 1994, Ruthie was also instrumental in helping elect 78 Greenville Attorneys, Johnnie E. Walls, Jr., and Willie Bailey, to 79 the Mississippi Senate 12th Senatorial District and the 80 Mississippi House of Representatives 49th District, respectively; 81 and 82 WHEREAS, because Ruthie was a gracious hostess who maintained 83 a lovely home, she was often called upon to host visiting 84 dignitaries at her residence, including the Reverend Jesse 85 Jackson, Sr., Minister Louis Farrakhan, Judge James Earl Graves, 86 Jr., and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young's daughter, Andrea 87 Young, just to name a few. Long before the "Me Too Movement," 88 Ruthie recognized the need for women to hold political offices. 89 As a result, she served as the Campaign Manager or as a volunteer 90 for numerous female candidates, including Vernita King Johnson, 91 Bernadine Young (deceased), Laverne Moore Holmes, Margaret 92 Carey-McCray, and Estelle Pryor, among others; and S. R. No. 18 *SS26/R991.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/SS26/R991.1 PAGE 4 (rdd\lr) 93 WHEREAS, Ruthie was preceded in death by her parents, Henry 94 and Blanche; her siblings: Martha (Bay) Birkhead Brewer, Alma 95 Catherine (Gloria) Ransom, Marguerite (Sister) Clark, Betty Jean 96 (Beh Jean) Walker, Henry (Bay Brother/Ramp) Ransom, Jr., Clarence 97 (Scrappy) Ransom, and Charles (Bimbo) Ransom. To cherish her 98 memory, Ruthie leaves her two daughters, Helen Eileen Morris, 99 Esq., and Sonya Dianne Morris Dunston; son, Thomas Morris, Jr.; 100 grandson, Cecil Renay Dunston, II; granddaughter, Marianna Ruth 101 Morris Christian; brother, James (Wade) Ransom, Sr.; sister, Ethel 102 (Dandy) Ransom Knight; sister-in-law, Nettie Mae Ransom; special 103 cousins, Alfolonia (Alf) Moore, Joseph (Buddy) Ransom, Jr. 104 (Julia), Elijah (Sonny) Moore (Helen), Ikie Lloyd, Camille Rivers; 105 bonus son, Daniel Ellis Morris, Esq. (Genara); bonus daughter, 106 Stephanie Nicole Morris, Esq. (Tony); longtime friends: Gertrude 107 Campbell, Barbara King, Lynda Hughes, Ruth Jean (Rue Jean) Bruce, 108 Jackie Harris and Lula Grisham Thompson; her beloved Agape Storge 109 Christian Center Family; the Noxapater International Prayer 110 Warriors; the Port City Adult Daycare; and a host of cousins, 111 nieces, nephews, spiritual children and friends; and 112 WHEREAS, we pay tribute and cherish fondly the memory of this 113 most public-spirited citizen of the Mississippi Delta whose 114 enormous civic energy will be missed: 115 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 116 MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the life and extend the 117 condolences of the Mississippi Senate to the bereaved family of S. R. No. 18 *SS26/R991.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/SS26/R991.1 PAGE 5 (rdd\lr) 118 respected Greenville citizen and Democratic party activist Ruthie 119 Mae Ransom Morris. 120 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 121 the surviving family of Ruthie Mae Ransom Morris and made 122 available to the Capitol Press Corps. S. R. No. 18 *SS26/R991.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/SS26/R991.1 ST: Commend the life of Greenville Community PAGE 6 (rdd\lr) activist Ruthie Mae Ransom Morris and extending condolences of the Senate. .