House Resolution 120

A RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. MORRIS BOZEMAN.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, on March 4, 2023, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Mr. Morris Bozeman, to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family, friends and community; and

WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi and the City of Terry, Mississippi, lost a wonderful friend and loving father with the passing of Mr. Bozeman, who was born on June 1, 1929, on the Patton Johnson Place in Terry to the late Willie and Kate Brown-Bozeman, one of 12 children, and there is now a hush in our hearts as we come together to pay our respects to the memory of one who has been called to join that innumerable heavenly caravan; and

WHEREAS, a man of uncompromised faith, Mr. Bozeman accepted Christ at a young age and was baptized at Little Bethel CME Church, where he served faithfully as an assistant superintendent of the Sunday School, junior steward, junior trustee, recording steward, chairman of the steward board and church treasurer, and on the district level, as district superintendent and as a delegate to the CME conferences, and he now enjoys the eternal peace described in Luke 2:29, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word"; and

WHEREAS, the son of a sharecropper, Mr. Bozeman learned the value of hard work very early in life as he would milk the cows and perform other chores before going to school, and while he only advanced to the eighth grade, he was a keen observer and an avid listener and learned many life lessons from his favorite teachers, Hattie Williams and Ora Lee Wolfe, as well as his Grandpa Bright; and

WHEREAS, the love and affection of Mr. Bozeman pierced the heart and soul of Ethel Pearl Bingham-Bozeman, and the two lovebirds exchanged the vows of holy matrimony with the sweet words, "I do", and they worked together to make their home a haven of love, discipline and respect and were happily married for 45 years and nine months; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bozeman worked several jobs in order to provide a comfortable living for his wife and children, as his earliest employers were United Distributors, MS Products, and Colonial Bakery, and he was later employed by Harshaw-Filtrol-Englehard Corporation, from which he retired in 1991 after working there for 23 years; and

WHEREAS, an accomplished man of the land, Mr. Bozeman raised cows, pigs, horses, chickens, sugar cane, fruits and vegetables for his growing family, and he was actively involved in his community, always lending a helping hand to his neighbors in need; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bozeman never met a stranger and always donned his signature attire, khaki slacks and a plaid shirt, regardless of who he was meeting, and he could carry on a conversation with anyone he met, and he was known for encouraging many individuals from Terry to pursue their dreams, including Dr. Robert Smith, a family friend and his personal physician, and his brother, George, who became the first African-American supervisor from District 5; and

WHEREAS, the memory of Mr. Bozeman, a man held in the highest regard by friends and family as an inspiring and precious gift from God, will continue to refresh the hearts and memories of his beloved survivors: children, Earlean Bozeman, Geralean (Ray) Gibson, Mae (Dennis) Grant, Alma (Jesse) Cline, Kathy (Kenneth) Funchess, Willie Morris (Stephanie) Bozeman, Jennifer (Thomas) Holly and Tanya (Jimmie) Shaw; grandchildren, Roshada, Jeryl, Ian, Morris (Erica), Samantha, Jessica, Samuel Morris (Jessica), Kandice (Elliot), Karla, Karnice, Kristian, Shara, Brequia, Jamie, Katie, Deanna, Phylicia (Marcus), Tiarra and Jarrett; great-grandchildren, Kamryn, Raven, London, Kensleigh, Paige, Karmin, Zoey, Kaylie, Taylor, Carter, Sunni, Isaiah, Kingston Morris and Emersyn; siblings, Bright Bozeman, Mary Lou Chris, Charlene Johnson and Marie Chatman; and a host of other relatives and friends; and

WHEREAS, we encourage the family to find solace from the overwhelming sadness created by the earthly departure of their beloved family member in Revelation 21:4, wherein is recorded, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" and renewed in their faith that Mr. Bozeman fulfilled the commandment of II Timothy 4:7 by having "fought a good fight, finishing his course and keeping the faith until the hour of his departure was at hand"; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and honor the lives of fine Mississippians, especially those such as Mr. Morris Bozeman, a gracious, hard-working man who loved his family, friends and community unconditionally, bringing glory and honor to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and legacy of Mr. Morris Bozeman, and express deepest sympathy to his family and friends upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mr. Morris Bozeman and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.