MORRIS (STEWART), Arvis Lauren

Arvis Lauren Stewart was born in Millerville, Alabama on December 4, 1924 to Arcadia Lucretia Sargent Stewart and Rev. James Washington (J.W. or "Gov") Stewart, a Methodist pastor. She was the sixth of ten children. Her father being a preacher, the family moved often as he served many different churches throughout Alabama.

Arvis was the valedictorian of her graduating class of Pisgah High School. She attended Athens College in Athens, Alabama, and was elected to the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa. There she met her future husband Everett Lee Morris, Jr. of Sumter, South Carolina.

They were married on April 29, 1946 at her home in Henagar, by her father. Arvis left college and the couple started a family. They moved around the country as Everett took various jobs, and when he received a commission in the US Navy, she became a Navy wife. In 1967, her marriage ended and with daughter, Katy married, and son, Lee off at college, Arvis and the three younger children, Mike, Melanie and Riley, moved from Hillcrest Heights, Maryland to Jacksonville, Alabama. She enrolled in Jacksonville State University where she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Education in 1970. She was a member of the Alpha Delta Kappa sorority.

Arvis became a beloved second grade teacher at Centre Elementary School in nearby Centre, Alabama from 1971 to 1991, where twice she was selected Teacher of the Year. She was recruited by her principal to publish the school’s Memory Book, dedicating countless hours to making a great student memento.

Arvis’s biscuits and gravy, pot roast, skillet cornbread and sweet tea were the stuff of legend. Arvis was an avid quilter as was her mother, and her hand-stitched quilts are treasures. Other hobbies included reading, crossword puzzles and knitting afghans. She enjoyed reading books about the paintings of her renowned grandnephew, Donny Finley, whose grandmother was her mother’s sister, Dessar.

On December 4, Arvis celebrated her 98th birthday with three generations of descendants who came from as far as Indiana, Iowa and Maryland (and Colorado and New Mexico by phone) at the Cherokee County Health and Rehabilitation Center in Centre, Alabama. She especially delighted in engaging with her newest descendant, Kinsley.

Arvis was preceded in death by all of her siblings, Thelma Diamond, Eugene Stewart, Elvin Stewart, Mera York, Ethel Waddell, Lemuel Stewart, Maymie McClure, Ruby Sanford and Gail Stinson; her daughter, Melanie Rose Buchholz; and son, John Riley Morris. Arvis is survived by daughter, Arcadia “Katy” Lynn Morris Greenawalt (Rodgers) of Sumter, South Carolina; son, Everett "Lee" Morris, III of Atlanta, Georgia; son, David Michael "Mike" Morris (Mary) of Laurel, Maryland; son-in-law, Michael "Mike" Hart Buchholz of Alpharetta, Georgia; grandchildren, Lauren Lynn Noble (Ron), Rodgers Kenyon Greenawalt, Jr. (Daniele), Carson Emily Morris, Everett Lee Morris, IV (Jaymee), Jessie Claudia Leyden (Tim), Wenona Mineko Galotta (Tony), Linda Sachiko Morris, Matthew Morris Buchholz (Leslie), Michael Hart Buchholz, Jr. (Andrea), Mark Stewart Buchholz (Katie), Meredith Sargent Mackiw (Mark), Dillon Thomas Fuller (Blaire); and twenty-two greatgrandchildren.

Arvis passed peacefully on December 17, 2022. Her love and devotion and pride in her family live on through each of her cherished descendants as well as her treasured nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

A celebration of her life will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, 4393 Garmon Rd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30327. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to a charity of your choice.