Mrs. C. H. Morris

Short Name: Mrs. C. H. Morris
Full Name: Morris, C. H., Mrs.
Birth Year: 1862
Death Year: 1929

Lelia N. Morris was born in Pennsville, Morgan County, Ohio, in 1862. Her family later moved to Malta on the Muskingum River, where she, her sister, and her mother operated a millinery shop in McConnelsville. She married Charles H. Morris, and both were active in the Methodist Episcopal Church, frequently participating in camp meetings at Sebring and Mt. Vernon.

Morris composed hymns while doing her housework and was highly prolific despite becoming blind at age 52. To continue her work, her family built a 28-foot long blackboard that allowed her to write hymns visually. Over her lifetime, she is credited with writing approximately 1,000 hymn texts and many tunes, including the well-known hymn “Sweeter as the Years Go By.”

Her contributions remain significant in American hymnody, particularly within the Methodist tradition, and she is remembered for her perseverance, creativity, and devotion to Christian song.