Rachel Saunders Morris Ross, 87, was born February 22, 1922 and was greeted by the angels early Sunday morning, October 18, 2009 at the U.K. Chandler Medical Center after a long illness. She was the daughter of the late Mose and Carrie Saunders and educated in the Fayette Co. Public Schools. She was a great seamstress and shared that gift with many. She accepted Christ in her life a the tender age of ten years old and, along with her Grandmother, joined New Testament under the leadership of Bishop McKinley Smith and Bishop W.H. Powells. She and her Grandmother later moved their membership to the Star of Bethlehem Church. She accepted her call into the Ministry at the age of 18 years old, being called from Romans 1:15-17. Her first sermon was Luke 15:8-32 (The Prodigal Son). One of her favorite scriptures was Psalm 124. Evangelist Ross faithfully served and preached the Word of God until recent years when her health began failing her. She preached several revivals at the Northside Community Church of God under the leadership of Pastor Sarah A. Saunders. She was a great encourager to people everywhere, always talking of the goodness of God.
Her light shined brightly wherever she went. She was a faithful choir member and loved to sing for the Lord. For several years, she assisted as the church pianist and also faithfully played for the Senior Choir and the Pastor's Choir.
She was united in holy matrimony to Aaron E. Morris, Sr. in 1948. They were blessed with five children. 1n 1978 she married the late Elder Richard Ross. Left to mourn her passing are her children, who deeply loved and cherished her, Loretta Morris, Evangelist Ellen Morris, Elder Aaron Morris, Henry Morris, and Helen Parks and son-in-law, James Parks. Other survivors include her two dear sisters, Sr. Church Mother Ruth Webster and Deaconess Floral Pinkston, one brother, Elder Williams Saunders and sister-in-law Pastor Sarah A. Saunders, 10 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by two sisters, Evangelist Goldie Turner and Louise Adams, five brothers, Ben, Joseph, Eddie, Levi and James Saunders, three nephews, Bishop Raymond Ross, Sr., Stanley Webster and Leroy Saunders, two sisters-in-law, Lucy and Florence Saunders and three brothers-in-law, William Turner, Eugene Webster and Dillard Adams.