East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-04-09
BISHOP MORRIS,
PIONEER, IS DEAD.
HEAD OF EPISCOPAL
CHURCH IN OREGON
For SS Years He Has Directed the
Work of the Church In This State
Was Next Oldest Bishop in Ameri-
ca-Was Chief Organizer of the
Episcopal Church in Both WASH
ington and Oregon.

The Oregon Daily Journal gives
the following account of the death
and life work of Bishop B. Wistar
Morris, of the Episcopal church of
Oregon, which occurred in Portland
Saturday night:
Bishop Benjamin Wistar Morris,
for SS years missionary bishop Of the
Protestant Episcopal church in Ore
gon, died at his residence, 635 Ever
ett street, in this city, at midnight
Saturday night. Death was caused by
complication of heart and stomach
troubles. He had been failing with
age for some time and a fainting
spell caused by heart trouble Thurs
day night confined him to his bed.
From that time until his death he
sank steadily and medical assistance
was of no avail. His wife, more than
so years of age, and his younger
daughter were at his bedside when
the end came.
Bishop Morris was 81 years of age
and for a month past has been suf-
| fering more or less from the troubles
which resulted fatally. Last Thurs
| day he attended a service at the
! Episcopal church. but complained
then of feeling very i'll and seemed
very weak. That night while he sat
| in his home he was seized with a
sinking spell which made him col
lapse completely. DR.. H. G. Wilson
was summoned and cared for the | a
tient night and day from that time
| ~ ~. trta
grew weaker steadily and early last
night the doctor informed the family
that he could not survive much
longer.
The death of Bishop Morris marks
the passing of pioneer and one OF
the most distinguished religious and
missionary workers on the Pacific
coast. He built up the Episcopa
field in both Washington and oregon
raised largs sums of money to further
the cause and was instrumental in the
establishment of several public insti
tutions in this city which stand today
as fitting crowns to the success Of
his labors.
Bishop for 3S Years.
Consecrated Bishop BenjamiI Wis
tar Morris served in the ministry fol
60 years, and during 3S years of tina
time was the bishop of Oregon. HI
was next to the oldest bishop in Amer
lea, and had he survived Bishop Tut
tie of Missouri, would have succeeded
him as presiding Bishop of the Prot
estant Episcopal church in America
He was an interchangeable worker, ant
the missionary field was his chosel
line. 1t was through his able han
ding and untiring efforts that tn
Episcopal missions in Oregon ant
Washington were brought to thei
present standard. He was a pionee
in religious work in this state, AM
there are many monuments standing
as witnesses of his labors.
Bishop Morris was born in Wells
borough, Pa, May 80, 1919. Hi
father was Hon. Samuel Morris, an
his grandfather was Captain Samue
Morris, captain of the first city troo
of Philadelphia in the revolutionar
war. Bishop Morris graduated fror
the general theological seminary Il
1S46, and received the degree of d. L
from Columbia and the University O
Pennsylvania in 1858. He was or
dained deacon just after his gradua
I ton in 1s46, and the following yea
! was ordained priest. He was after
I ward pastor Of st, Matthews churc
! Of Suh5ury, Pa, rector of st. David
} church at Manayunk, and also of S
Luke's church at Germantown, Pa.
) His activity in church work an
his especial success in missionary Ia
bors won for him the ordination g
] Bishop of Oregon and Washington
1868. He presided over these tw
I fields until 1880, when the dioce'
was divided into two, he remainin
as bishop of oregon.
b Wonderful Church Growth.
2, When he first came to oregon
1868 the missionary work of I'll
church in this field was In vel
primitive condition. The country we
untamed and there were many gray
difficulties that had to be overcon
In the building up of the work. Il