Obituaries: Gould, Morris, Neely

Loyal Gould, 86, Sept. 8 in Chicago of kidney cancer. A former Associated Press foreign correspondent, he later was chair of the journalism departments at Ohio State, Wichita State and Baylor universities. Loyal GouldAmong the highlights of his career was filing stories almost hourly from Berlin when East Germany’s communist rulers built the Berlin Wall in 1961. He escorted President Richard Nixon and his daughters when they visited the wall. He also reported on the trial of 21 Germans who worked in Auschwitz during the Holocaust and the opposition of most Germans to war-crime trials. He was chairman of Baylor’s journalism department from 1974 to 1993. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ilse, in 2000. He is survived by his wife, Yanling Li; and daughter, Loyan Ebba.

Joella Morris, 90, Sept. 12 in Houston. She and her husband, Stewart, were among the founders of Houston Baptist University in 1960 and have supported the university throughout its history.Joella Morris In addition to funding scholarships and campus facilities, they helped place 10 granite columns taken from the 1899 Galveston County Courthouse on the campus to symbolize the Ten Commandments. Known for her passion for American history, she spent the last five decades researching, preserving, restoring and honoring history in partnership with her husband. In recognition of their work, the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance presented them the President’s Award in 2007. She also was instrumental in establishing the Museum of Southern History, which now resides on the HBU campus as part of the Joella and Stewart Morris Cultural Arts Center. She is survived by her husband of 70 years; daughters, Caralisa Simon and Carlotta Barker; son, Stewart Jr.; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

H.K. Neely Jr., 79, Sept. 22 in Waco. He was the first dean of Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology. A tribute service will be held Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. at the Logsdon Chapel. H.K. Neely Jr.He surrendered to the call of ministry at age 14 and began his ministry at Spring Creek Baptist Church near Meridian. He later was pastor of Necessity Baptist Church near Breckenridge and First Baptist Church in Rising Star. In 1963, he became chair of the religion department of Southwest Baptist College, later founding the Courts Redford School of Theology there. He came to HSU as chairman of the division of religion and philosophy, and became Logsdon’s first dean in 1983. He grew the school from 172 students to more than 330 in five years. He served HSU 18 years before returning to Southwest Baptist University as vice president for denominational relations and dean of the Redford School of Theology. In 2002, he was named executive director of the newly formed Baptist General Convention of Missouri. In 2006, he received the Lewis W. Newman Award from the Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals. He was preceded in death by his sister, Sue Ann Weise. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Barbara; son, Bob; daughters, Amy Jackson, Susan Johnston and Kara Goble; sisters, Pat Emsley and Carolyn Cook; and eight grandchildren.