Earland (Earl) Morrison, 87, passed away March 18, 2019, surrounded by his loving family.
Earl was born Nov. 27, 1931, in New Gloucester. He was the sixth of the nine children of Elsie Hall and Webster Morrison. Earl served his country in the U.S. Air Force, primarily in Yuma, Arizona, during the Korean War. Upon honorable discharge, he attended the University of Maine, Orono earning a degree in animal and dairy Science. It was at Orono, via his fraternity brother Richard Barker, that he met the love of his life, Elizabeth (Betty). Earl proposed to Betty on her 27th birthday and they were married Aug. 1, 1959. After dairy farming with his brother Arnold, Earl was employed by the USDA Soil Conservation Service and, in 1966, Betty and Earl moved to Alfred with their three boys Paul, Stephen and Philip.
Earl served his community in many ways. He was a deacon of the Alfred Parish Church for many years and led the building committee for the Lord addition to the Conant Chapel. Upon the creation of the Massabesic Lions Club, Earl served as charter president and continued as an active member for the next 47 years. Earl served as a captain in the Alfred Fire Department, and when the Alfred Rescue was created, Earl and Betty were among the first to serve. Betty and Earl were active members of the Shaker Valley Squares (square dancing), the New Century Club, the New England Antique Bottle Club, and were founding members of the Friends of the Alfred Shaker Museum. Earl delivered Meals on Wheels for many years, often to those younger than he. He was a member of Fraternal Lodge #55 A.F. & A.M., and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Additionally, Earl was a selectman for the town of Alfred for 20 years and was instrumental in the building of the new fire station; the purchase of a new fire truck; and the creation of the new transfer station, the recycling building of which bears his name. Earl and Betty enjoyed camping and traveling with family and friends.
Betty passed away in 2014. Earl is survived by his three sons: Paul and Ellen of Alfred; Stephen and Christine of Lisbon, New Hampshire; and Philip and Julia of Tyringham, Massachusetts. His grandchildren include Rachel of Honolulu, Hawaii; Timothy of Alfred; Eliza of Manchester, New Hampshire; Senior Airman Mitchell stationed at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey; and Tate and Nicholas of Tyringham, Massachusetts. Earl is also survived by his brother John and wife Edna; his sister-in-law Doris Morrison; many nieces and nephews; and Betty’s brothers Charles, Theodore, Robert, Richard and their families.
A funeral service will be held Saturday, March 23, 2018, at 11 a.m. at Curtis Lake Christian Church, 38 Westview Drive, Sanford, Maine, where all are cordially invited to visit with Earl’s family beginning at 10 a.m. at the church. Following the service, a reception will be held for Earl’s family at the Massabesic Lions Club, 813 Main St., Waterboro, Maine. Committal prayers with military honors will be held later in the spring at Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Earl’s name to the Alfred Shaker Museum Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 873, Alfred, ME 04002. To leave a message of condolence for the family, visit www.autumngreenfuneralhome.com.
