Morris L. Kirk

of Middleton, Ohio

A Devoted Servant

of our Lord Jesus Christ

1922–1999

Morris Kirk was a man of many talents and gifts. He was a teacher, a spiritual advisor, a biologist, an orchardist, a planner, and an organizer. A tall man (6’4”), Morris felt that people should stand upright physically and spiritually. Much of the pleasure of being with Morris was his joy in and zest for life. His sense of humor was readily apparent. The twinkle in his eyes was a giveaway of his inner merry spirit, and if seated he was apt to slap his knee as an expression of enjoyment of a joke. Good, clean humor found an appreciative audience in Morris and his ready wit contributed to such an exchange. He was generous, always courteous, and thoughtful of others.

Morris knew a Christian has more reason to enjoy a happy life, because Jesus Christ has lifted the fears others face, and replaced them with forgiveness, salvation and an assurance of a home in heaven with Him. He was often prompted by the Holy Spirit with messages of inspiration and encouragement, and he tried to be faithful to share these with others. Morris was concerned for the practical walk of faith of Friends. When people would come to him with concerns, he would often reply, “Well, let’s pray about it.”

Early Years

Morris L. Kirk was born on the first day of Second Month 1922 in Fairfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. He was the fourth child of Louis and Alice (Cope) Kirk, and was born at home. The children in the family were Florence, Robert, Edward, and Morris.

Schooling started at Locust Knoll Friends School in Middleton, which he attended for the first and second grades. When it closed he went to Fairfield Centralized School through eighth grade. He completed grades nine through twelve at Friends Boarding School at Barnesville, Ohio and was the president of his senior class of 1940. Although an aunt warned him that he might fall away from the Lord if he attended college, Morris decided to enroll in Wilmington College. While a freshman there he earned his meals by working as a busboy at the General Denver Hotel. After this his education at Wilmington was interrupted by war.

College and C.P.S.

When Morris was drafted, he felt it was right for him, as a conscientious objector to war, to choose Civilian Public Service as an alternative to military service. During his eighteen months of service he built roads and fought forest fires in Oregon, worked at a tree nursery in New York, packed used clothing for the American Friends Service Committee in Philadelphia for overseas shipment, and labored as a mechanic for National Park Service trucks in the Smoky Mountains.

Anna Marie Smith of Whittier, Iowa, who had also been a student at Friends Boarding School, became his wife Eleventh Month eighth, 1946, and they had four children: Beverly, James, Nancy, and Kenneth. The night Morris proposed to Anna Marie, he preceded the big question with an outline of the life he foresaw for himself, warning of sacrifices that would be required of her, to fulfill the call the Lord had given him. He devotedly fulfilled his marriage vow to be a “loving and faithful husband so long as we both shall live.” Married life began at the family orchard where they lived in a house built for them by his parents. However, after one year they packed up their belongings in a small house trailer and headed back to Wilmington College where Morris enthusiastically resumed his education. By graduation time in 1950, he had earned a scholarship to attend graduate school at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, which included tuition and living expenses. Morris, Marie, and baby Beverly moved there until he fulfilled the requirements for a Master’s degree in History.

F.B.S.

Friends Boarding School became home for the Kirk family for the seven years following graduate school. After teaching history and biology for one year Morris was asked by the School Committee to then take on the role of Principal. During their stay at FBS, Jimmy and Irene were added to the Kirk family.

Several of his former students have written of his influence on their teaching, and their lives. A few excerpts:

"He was so good to explain things in biology so thick-heads like me could understand . . . he was one of my favorite teachers – very strict but highly respected.";

Another: “in biology class he urged us to share his love of the wonders nature reveals to us every day. He influenced me to the extent that I still collect leaves and flowers on occasion – and I think of him frequently when I’m tramping throughout the woods. He certainly did God’s work here on earth; and I feel sure he is resting safely in His hands now.”

“As a student at Olney, I was repeatedly molded and improved by his leadership, by his good example, by his confident stride through life. Morris helped shape my earthly view of things: biological, philosophical, and spiritual... Yes, Morris was my mentor and I will always cherish his gifts to me.”

When Morris became Principal upon Byron G. Thomas’ retirement in 1952, FBS had reached one of its turning points in history. Two issues loomed large over the future of the school: declining enrollment and faculty training.

Prior to the 1950s, FBS depended upon the children of the Conservative Yearly Meetings for students. However, by the 1950s there were not enough incoming students from Conservative Friends families to maintain a large student body. The School Committee reported to Ohio Yearly Meeting in 1953 “Our Principal has done a wonderful work in distributing the story and opportunities of Olney to potential students throughout this country... In spite of the fact that almost half of last year’s enrollment had to be replaced because of graduating or other reasons, we now have prospect of an enrollment for 1953-54 slightly larger than last year.” Morris’s activity in advertising the school paid off; enrollment reached the highest level since Scattergood School reopened, and enrollment remained in the 70s throughout the next several years.

In addition to the enrollment challenge, both Morris and the School Committee felt a need to hire better-trained teachers. The Advisory Board produced an outline of the duties and responsibilities of the staff, faculty, and sub-committees to help to clarify everyone’s expectations. But Morris was as concerned about hiring the right person as he was about that person having the right training. The School Committee reluctantly raised the tuition per child to $450 to help offset the expense of more qualified teachers.

During his first year as Principal, Morris showed his willingness to experiment and find ways to simplify and improve his surroundings. Prior to that time, commencement was held in the gym, but since it was a yearly meeting school, and more seating was needed, it seemed appropriate to him to request commencement be held in the Stillwater Meeting House. This request was granted. When commencement arrived in 1953, everyone sat on the women’s side of the meetinghouse. The arrangement was considered satisfactory and has continued since then. One of Morris’ greatest accomplishments at Olney was the science wing. At the time, the library was expanding at an accelerated rate; in the 1953–54 school year alone, it acquired 1,408 new books, necessitating a more adequate library. In 1955, Morris and the school committee produced a plan to add a new wing onto the main building. This wing would have an assembly room upstairs (now called the Collection Room) and science rooms in the basement. By moving these functions into the new wing, the old collection room could be converted into the new library. Many people donated money to help make this dream a reality, and in a few years the new wing was complete.

There were several other significant changes which took place while the Kirk family lived at FBS. The Olney Development Fund built a new house at the end of the brick walk and the Kirks lived there after 1954, having first lived in the new apartment in the Boys’ Dorm, then the Hutton Cottage. In addition to this new house, the Mackie Cottage was renovated. The boys’ dorm was re-wired, and new gas-fired hot water boiler systems were installed in the dormitories. Morris planted more trees in the orchard (apple, plum, cherry and peach). The school purchased the Taber Farm from Louis J. Taber, who generously donated his herd of Jersey cows to the school. Last, in 1958 the school planned a new staff residence; the increasing expectations for teaching staff narrowed the field of prospects, and most of those qualified under the new guidelines tended to be married and need suitable quarters for their families.

Boardman Local Schools

In 1958 Morris was hired by Boardman Local Schools to teach history at a significant increase over his Friends Boarding School salary. He and Marie bought a 57-acre farm which was in a very run-down condition, one mile west of Middleton. They renovated the house themselves while living there with the family.

By Seventh Month 1960, though, Morris took a leave from Boardman, and the family moved to Kenya, for two years. Morris was the headmaster of Chavakali Secondary School, an American AID project. Kenny was nine months old at the time, and the family was complete. It was a challenging, growing time for Morris, working in an entirely different culture, but the family all treasure those years and experiences.

Returning to the States in 1962, Morris resumed his job in Boardman, where he stayed until 1979. During his time there, he would often come home with stories of his day, a joke he wanted to share, or anecdotes of having students empty squirt guns (which were strictly forbidden) into the perpetrator’s pocket before confiscating them. After teaching initially, he moved into counseling, then took on the responsibilities as high school principal, a very difficult and challenging job in the ’60s.

He often said that his later position as Assistant Superintendent responsible for curriculum and personnel at Boardman for nine years was “the best job I ever had.” One of Morris’s assignments was the screening of staff applications. During the interviews, he would ask the applicant “What have you done for others that you didn’t get paid for?” Marie remembers that later in life Morris’s most repeated dreams were about working with the other respected administrators from that era. He retired from Boardman Schools after working there for nineteen years.

Hobbies and Interests

Morris traveled extensively throughout his lifetime. Even though he usually wanted to “get back home” as soon as he got somewhere, he still managed to visit Europe, Kenya twice, Israel, the British Isles, and Costa Rica, as well as trips all over the U.S.

Morris was a hard worker and expected the same from his children. They remember many days that Morris would leave a list of tasks for them to accomplish before he came home from work. He would always tell the boys, “Don’t forget to wear your gloves.”

Morris had many hobbies. He was an avid reader. He enjoyed working with wood in almost any form and got great satisfaction from using scavenged wood to create items of usefulness and beauty. He looked at many things with the eye of an artist, his expressions of artistry taking form in paintings, sculpture, calligraphy and landscaping.

Morris had a lifelong appreciation for and understanding of plant life. He enjoyed gardening and often mentioned how he looked forward to his retirement years when more time would be available to expand garden production. When retirement arrived, family food needs had diminished and production increased, surplus often being delivered to needy folks in Youngstown and elsewhere. Orchard and vine crop volume increased and the bounty shared with a receptive circle. He planted daffodils on the bank across the road from the house, creating a spot of beauty much enjoyed by passers-by, as well as family.

Morris’ early training in the apple orchard helped him when, for a 4-H project at the Ohio State Fair he demonstrated how to plant a tree properly. He remained an avid planter of trees throughout his life, always gathering seeds or cuttings to start a nursery row. Over the space of two fall planting seasons he and his family planted over 3,500 sycamore, tulip poplar, black walnut and white pine trees in the field to the west of the brick house they built in 1963. Another 75 Norway Spruce still shield that home from wind. Other trees he planted are still going strong today – a small part of a living legacy that others may enjoy.

The pond behind the family barn occupied many hours of his time as he stocked it with various fish, installed wood-duck nesting boxes, and engineered and installed a garden irrigation system.

Spiritual Concerns of the 1970s

Many members of Ohio Yearly Meeting met Christ Jesus in a fresh way during the 1970s, usually by attending the meetings of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship. This organization saw Jesus as an active participant in the details of everyday life and encouraged people to be open to the movings of the Holy Spirit.

In 1974, a younger Friend gave a presentation at Ohio Yearly Meeting about the movings of the Spirit in his life. [Morris may have had a hand in these events, as he served on the Agenda Committee of the yearly meeting from 1972 until 1980.] The day after the speech, this young man called out to some Friends walking down the brick path between Olney and Stillwater. He said that he felt a spirit of pride had taken hold of him following his presentation. A group of Friends, including Morris, prayed for him and with the power of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, ministered deliverance. However, one of the other Friends began to feel a strong cold chill on his hands. He asked for prayer as well, and the chill evaporated. The Friends involved were comforted by this encounter with the power of the Holy Spirit.

These encounters with the Holy Spirit enlivened the spiritual lives of many Ohio Friends, including Morris. Morris found a deeper fellowship with Christ and was more willing to take up the work in the divine vineyard. Morris was appointed to the Fiduciary Trustees and to the School Committee (after having had a five years’ reprieve).

Another important service by the Kirks was their work with the Christian Education Camp. Morris and Marie served as directors of the first Christian Education Camp, which was held at the school on Seventh Month 21–24, 1976. Thirty children attended the camp that year. When the oversight committee reported to Ohio Yearly Meeting later that year, it reported that it wanted the children to “learn to sense the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit moving in their lives.” The Christian Education Camp was a success and, with a few years exception, has been held annually ever since.

Second Term at Olney 1979–1982

By the late 1970s, some Friends in Ohio Yearly Meeting were dissatisfied with Olney for a variety of reasons. The School Committee considered the situation and decided to appoint a member of the Yearly Meeting as the new head of the school. They turned to Morris once again and hoped that he would reinforce lapsed rules of conduct. Morris had served on the school committee for fifteen out of the prior twenty years, and his helpful service on the faculty subcommittee and executive subcommittees made it seem likely that he would once again be the person to help the school through the difficult situation.

In the summer of 1979 Morris and Marie moved into the Hutton to serve as the Executive Director and Hostess of Olney. [The school had recently incorporated and officially taken the name of Olney Friends School.] Morris asked Ohio Yearly Meeting in 1979 “for your continuing support, especially at the Throne of Grace.”

The School Committee reported to the 1980 session of Ohio Yearly Meeting: “The school year 1979-80 was a year of return to discipline. Several existing rules were re-enforced to help our young people learn responsibility in a rapidly paced world.” However, the Olney students did not react as favorably to the changes as most Friends anticipated. The 1979–80 year began with 90 students. One student realized the first day of school that things would be different and left that day. By the end of the year, enrollment had dropped to 71.

One of the more significant events during the Kirk’s second term at Olney was the construction of the Kirk Barn. Robert Gronewald had been a student at Olney and was in one of Morris’s biology classes in the 1950s. He was so inspired by Morris’s teaching that he chose to become a physician. Gronewald gave a substantial amount of money to the school for the construction of a barn and asked that this barn be named the Kirk Barn. Morris directed the construction of the barn, which was finished in 1982.

There were two other events of significance which transpired during the Kirk’s second term at Olney. First, Olney purchased its first computer in 1981. Personal computers had just been introduced on the market, and Olney was one of the first schools to have one. Second, Marie initiated the compiling of Olney’s first alumni directory. This list of names and addresses of the alumni helped the many alumni to keep in touch with each other and facilitated the planning of class reunions.

However, Morris found much of his second term at Olney frustrating. Enrollment slowly declined in spite of considerable efforts to attract new students. There was a recognized division of thought regarding the proper solution to the problem. In his approach, Morris represented those who believed that a primary purpose for the school was its Christian witness and that it should be publicly featured with this direction. However, the predominant influences desired a less restrictive mission for the school and the School Committee decided to ask someone else to fill that position.

Spiritual Leader

Morris and Marie spent quite a bit of their time following their retirement with volunteer opportunities. They spent a month working with the Choctaw Friends Center in Alabama in 1987 and reported on their work at the following session of Ohio Yearly Meeting. He admired the spirituality of the Indians and appreciated their worship and faith. In the summer of 1951 they had directed an American Friends Service Committee work camp of college students on Indian Island, Old Town, Maine, the group being the first non-Indians to live there with the Penobscot Indians. He also organized and taught at a special school in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania which served troubled youth who were under the care of The Bair Foundation, a Christian agency responsible for placing court-referred youth in foster homes where they were given loving encouragement and guidance.

Morris had been taking a break from much involvement in the yearly meeting, but an event in 1988 led him to become more active. On the morning of the 16th of Second Month in 1988, Morris woke up in the middle of the night. He later described this experience: “I was awakened with the language in my spiritual ear, ‘Thus saith the Lord to Zerubabel.’ I couldn’t remember who Zerubabel was, so I said, to Jesus, ‘Who in the world is Zerubabel, Lord? I’ll look it up in the morning.’ I turned over and resumed my slumber. In the morning I went to the Bible for Zerubabel. Of course his name is mentioned many places, but where my attention to it first fell was Zech. 4:6 in that very familiar text, ‘Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ It is interesting how the Lord got my attention on this for if He had given me the text directly I might not have been so impressed that it was from Him. This insight from God clearly suggests our way is to be made by dependence on Jesus, and through intercessory pursuits of the Spirit.”

Not long after this event, Morris became more active in the yearly meeting. He was appointed to the School Committee and the Fiduciary Trustees (having resigned from those committees in 1979). In 1990 Morris was appointed an Overseer at Middleton and began his service on the Spiritual Action Committee of Ohio Yearly Meeting. Friends recognized Morris’s gifts of leadership and appointed him the President of the Fiduciary Trustees (he served as President for seven of his thirteen years on the committee), the convenor of the Spiritual Action Committee, and Clerk of the Yearly Meeting of Ministry and Oversight (1993–1996). He also became the leader of the study time before meeting at Middleton on First Days and brought direction to this time of devotion.

During the 1990s Morris became active in ministry through the written word. From time to time the Lord would place a message on his heart, and often Morris would write down these messages. He felt a special burden for an increase in the spiritual life of his home meeting. He gave several presentations at retreats based on these words from Above. In addition, Morris submitted articles which were printed in The Ohio Conservative Friends Review and The Conservative Friend. The first article by Morris in the OCFR appeared in the Spring 1997 issue wherein he dealt with the need of Friends to pray more earnestly and seek repentance. Later articles dealt with allegiance to Christ, spiritual rebirth, and understanding the promises in the Bible. The last of his articles was printed in TCF in 1998; in this article Morris wrote: “So let us pray for each other, as often as the Lord prompts. Let us leave no one out of this prayer blanket but reflect the unconditional love of God in our thoughts and petitions. When we are so engaged in praying for another, the Lord may bring to mind a minor disagreement with that person, or a misunderstanding, or an irritation of personality. In any case, forgive that one at once!”

Morris had a concern that Ohio Yearly Meeting get back to the Source. In the report of the Spiritual Action Committee in 1993, Morris (as convenor) wrote: “As a Yearly Meeting we seek a unity in the acknowledgment that Christ is the Head. We can have no other gods before Him. Our challenge is to move from an intellectual understanding to one that is experience-based. This can come about only through individual confession, repentance, conversion, and obedience. We need a Holy Fire that will ignite each one of us to move forward in divine abandonment to Christ. Can we pray that God will so move among us and raise us up in power and in new life in Him?”

Morris was always learning. In the last few years of his life, he studied Spanish and spent some time using his skill in calligraphy to copy scripture verses in Spanish for a friend.

Morris had a concern that Friends not separate themselves from the wider Christian community. In a letter to Middleton Meeting in 1991, he wrote “The fragmentation of those groups who acknowledge allegiance to Christ has been a concern to thoughtful people for centuries and other lesser issues often continue to divide and separate us. This divisiveness continues even though our prophets record that every wall that separates God’s people from one another is destined to come down. Unity between the denominations however will be achieved through a focus on Christ instead of a focus on doctrine.” One of the local pastors found that Morris was an excellent confidant and advisor and a rare man with whom he could share matters of spiritual importance. In 1996, Middleton Meeting hosted a group of inner city black Christians from Youngstown. Morris felt that whites and blacks could carry one another’s burdens together as Christians.

During the last nine years of his life, Morris battled prostate cancer with prayer and strong faith in Jesus that he would be healed. He also opted for the recommended medical treatments as the disease progressed. While undergoing treatments, he and Marie purposely continued their normal lives including traveling, volunteer activities, gardening and Yearly Meeting responsibilities. Morris seemed to develop more patience, tolerance and compassion as his illness progressed.

Morris passed away at home on the second of First Month 1999. Marie and all four of their children, plus two of his siblings, were present as his spirit passed out of his body. One of them later recorded “It was a blessed experience as we read scripture, prayed, and sang to him. We are thankful to have had Morris for our earthly father, and we praise God for letting us be present as he passed on to his new home with Jesus.” Morris’s body was buried on the fifth of First Month 1999 in the Middleton Friends burial ground.