John Franklin Morrow, 101 and 11 months and 17 days, died peacefully on Sunday, January 21, 2024, in Mountain View, Arkansas. He was born to Calvin Steven Morrow and Mary Matilda (Sisk) Morrow on February 4, 1922, in Big Flat, Arkansas. He and his nine siblings grew up in the Big Flat area on a farm on Big Creek. In his junior year of high school, he was asked to come play basketball at Marshall High School and Marshall won the state championship in 1942. He loved basketball as a high school player, as a college player, as a semi-pro player and as a coach. In fact, he played against the original Harlem Globetrotters twice.
At the age of 19, John had his father sign so he could volunteer to join the Army Air Corps in 1942. (Draft age, at the time, was 21.) Through a clerical error, he was given a draftee number and found himself in the US Army. He served primarily as a tank driver in WWII in General George Patton’s 3rd Army in the 7th Armored Division in the European Theater. He saw action in many major World War II battles in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany including the Battle of the Bulge. His military decorations include the Purple Heart, the European Campaign Medal, with four bronze stars, and recently the French Legion of Honor Medal.
When the war ended, he returned to Big Flat where he met and married Joyce Georgia Gammill. The couple attended college at Northeastern State Teachers College in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. While in school, they had two sons Don and Gary. After graduation John had a varied career working as a coach and teacher, working for the Atomic Energy Commission, farming and in drywall construction.
John accepted Jesus as his Savior while living in Washington State. He was then called into the ministry, and after attending Cedarville College in Ohio for two years, he became a Baptist minister, serving as a pastor in churches in Stone and Searcy County for over 60 years. He last served as Senior Care Minister for New Home Baptist Church in Wetumpka, AL until 2020.
He is preceded in death by his wife Joyce (Gammill), his second wife Carrie Nell (Gilliand), his son Gary F. Morrow, his parents, Calvin and Matilda Morrow, brothers, Odell, TG, Troy and Calvin, and sisters Thelma Mathis, Eutah Balentine, VirginiaTreat, Clearsey Edens, and Euvonna Stout.
He is survived by his son, Donald (wife, Paulette) and stepsons David (wife, Donna) Gilliand and Danny (wife, Donna) Gilliand and six grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren.
Visitation is Friday, January 26, 2024, from 9:00-10:00 AM at Roller Crouch Chapel in Mountain View, Arkansas. Funeral services will follow the visitation beginning at 10:00 AM with Eric Sutton and Tollie Sutterfield officiating.
Pallbearers are John Morrow, Carson Morrow, Jim Morrow, Cameron Morrow, Nathan Morrow, and Matthew Adams.
The family wishes to especially thank the nurses and techs at Stone County Hospital for the kindness and compassion they gave to John in his final days. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to ABA Missions, PO Box 1050, Texarkana, Texas 75504 or Gideons International, PO Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090.
