Martha Morgan Harris

Mother Martha W. (Hagler) Morgan-Harris

Matriarch of Her Family, Church, and Community

Mother Martha W. (Hagler) Morgan-Harris only daughter born to the union of Lehman Hagler & Lydia (Beaver) Hagler on December 5, 1931, in Dora, Alabama.  
 

She married Elisha Harris Sr. young and spent her young teenage married years in Dora, AL when her and Elisha applicably decided to part ways and end the marriage.  Martha with their three children moved up to Fort Wayne, IN following her mother and brothers.

Upon moving to Fort Wayne, she took jobs at places like Walgreens and Troy Laundry to support her little family. It was the early 1950’s after she settled in with her three small children, she met the love of her life Eddie L. Morgan.   

​Martha married Eddie Morgan and together they started to add to the small family.  In the early years of their marriage, they managed to buy a home, build a business, and add four more children to the family.  
 

In 1955,  E&M Tire Company was in business!  Eddie & Martha names represented the E & M Tire Company that is still in business today. 

Mother received Christ and became a member of West Field Temple COGIC which is now Oakridge Temple Church under the anointed leadership of Elder Cornelius Baker.   

Mother knew nothing less than giving her all for Christ and Souls.  So, her work for the Church and God began.   She was raising seven children, helped with the business, worked tirelessly at the church and held a full-time job at the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center. 

Mother’s marriage remained strong, and the business flourished, and God added to the Church.

Mother’s husband lost his eyesight and she retired from her job after 17 years of service to care for him. At the age of 50 Mother decided she would learn to drive as her husband could no longer.  She was a determined Lady who believed nothing was impossible with the Lord!  

There were many endeavors she was part of or on the board with, City Economic Development, St. Joseph Hospital for Young Women with Babies, City Wide Missionaries and awarded Mother of the Year by the NAACP.   

Mother’s work for the church and God would amaze most people.  She was a cook, and she knew that was her God given gift…cooking! So, cook she did! Cooking dinners to fund raising, organizing the women and making sure each event was successful.  

She was always believing that God would help the church do what they needed to survive and grow the Kingdom of God.  She a was part of the fund raising for church pews, carpet, choir robes, instruments, stoves, freezers, etc. Her many hats were, Choir President, Food Bank, Kitchen Ministry, Mothers Board, Building Fund and Auxiliary Treasurer. 

Mother was the Church Mother for over 55 years and served her heart out to anyone that crossed her path.

Feeding the League of for over 30 years at the church. She ran the feeding of the Children’s Summer Feeding Program. Mother believed feed someone’s physical hunger and then pull at their hearts with the Gospel and Christ Love!

Upon the death of her husband Eddie, she persevered through and leaned on the Lord.  Mother later in life reunited with her first husband Elisha Sr. and at that time both had lost their spouses.  They came back together with more maturity and re-married in their later years.  Mother blended the families together like a beautiful tapestry.  Which brought all the children together as one family.

Upon Mother’s  move to Sage Bluff Nursing Care, she never stopped planning and raising money for the causes of the church and family.  Mother was better than CEO, give her a telephone (Land Line) and she would organize, rally and get an event fund raiser going.  Mother touched so many with her love and she never thought anyone was unreachable.  She would tell everyone, “Only what you do for Christ will last.”

Mother is survived by her children, Pastor Elisha (Brenda) Harris Jr., Brenda G. Harris, Rosetta Morgan-Govan, Edna (Billy)White, Thomas E. (Lydia) Morgan, Kimmolyn L. Morgan, Essie Bass all of Fort Wayne IN, Eddie Jean (John) Betts of MS, Annie Thomas of VA, Georgia Harris, Sheila Harris, Jean (Curtis) Hawkins, Vanessa Harris all of AL,  Regina Reed of GA, Beverly (Raymond) Freeman of OH, Darby (Rose) Howard, Bobbie (Jeanette) Howard, Leon Harris, Curtis Harris, George Howard, Michael Howard, Denise Howard all of MO and Viola Jones of IL;  two sisters-in-law, Gladys Hagler and Sarah Hagler both of Fort Wayne, IN, 53+ grandchildren along with a host of great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents, Lehman and Lydia Hagler; husbands, Eddie L. Morgan and Elisha Harris Sr.; children, Ervin Harris, Larry Harris, Nance Harris, William Howard and Loretta Smith; grandchildren, Lenny O. Harris, Drummont O. Govan, Deon Stewart and Carlos Harris;  brothers, John Hagler, Willie Hagler, Robert Hagler and Charlie Hagler.

Note of Appreciation 

Heartfelt Thanks to Oakridge Temple Church Family and Members who loved her.

Special Thanks for your love and never forgetting Mother, your constant phone calls and visits where the world to Mom. Missionary Bobbie Iwobi, Patricia Edwards, Missionary Kelly, Cousin Mae, Cousin Dot, Nancy Shields, Mother Warfield, Abdulla Martin.

Sage Bluff Staff:  Gary Johnson, Jennifer, Ron, Brenda, Tamekia and her friends at Sage Bluff, Carrie Blackmon and Joann Whitaker.

Thanks to everyone who loved our mother and has reached out to our family during our time of loss.

Thanks to Ellis Funeral Home for their services and great care with handling Mom’s services.

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