Obituary of Elizabeth Long

After over 97 years of gracing this earth, Elizabeth “Betty” (Morris) Long of Elizabethtown, Kentucky is finally getting some well-deserved rest.  She passed away peacefully in Pickens, South Carolina, on Sunday, March 16, 2025, surrounded by her children and the prayers of many who loved her.

She was born in Linthicum Heights, Anne Arundel, Maryland in 1927 to Rufus and Zora Morris and grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia.  Betty graduated from E.C. Glass High School and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and her master’s degree and rank one from Western Kentucky University.  She was a trailblazer, taking her first job as a reporter in Middlesboro, Kentucky, where she later met her husband, John.

She had a profound impact on the community as a teacher at Elizabethtown High School.  For over 29 years she did her best to instill her love of learning while making students feel cared for and valued.

Betty was also curious about the world around her.  She enjoyed traveling and had been to many places in her lifetime, including England, Wales, Germany, Jordan, Israel, and the USSR before the fall of the Iron Curtain.  She also liked to road-trip across the US with friends and family.

She found joy in the simple things in life, whether that was a bite of fresh parsley, a beautiful flower, a Sunday crossword puzzle completed with her grandchildren, or a really good summer tomato from her garden.

Betty’s faith was a source of strength and comfort, and she was always seeking to serve others.  She was an active member of Memorial United Methodist Church, having served as UMW president and on numerous committees over the course of her lifetime.  She was a Master Gardener, a member of Greenspace, and a member and former president of the Garden Club of Elizabethtown.  Betty’s garden was a source of great joy that led to frequent blue ribbons at the Hardin County Fair.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John W. Long, her parents, Rufus and Zora Morris, her brother, John “JR” Morris, and her son-in-law, Bob Bergeson.

Above all, she gave her time and her love to those around her including her four children: Jan (Bob) Bergeson, Jim (Helen) Long, Joe (Shain) Long, and Susan (Tom) Hood; her nine grandchildren: John (Becci) Bergeson, Jen (Billy) Bergeson-Lockwood, Katie (Jason Phillips) Long, Kevin (Carrie) Long, Matt (Sara) Long, Philip (Amber) Long, Andrew (M.K.) Long, Sarah Hood, Mary Claire (Paul) Espinosa; her fourteen great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She passed on both her joyful stubbornness and stubborn joyfulness to many of her descendants, friends, extended family, and acquaintances.  She will be dearly missed. “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

A service celebrating her life will be Saturday, June 21, 2025 at Memorial United Methodist Church.  Brown Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.  Donations to honor her life may be made to Wesley Hilltop House, care of Memorial United Methodist Church, www.https://www.memorial-umc.org/online-giving click “Donate Now,” to the Elizabethtown Educational Foundation, 219 Helm St Elizabethtown, KY 42701, or to a charity of your choice.