Tena Morris Putnam

Tena Morris Putnam was born in Somerville, Tennessee on August 23, 1931. She went to her heavenly home with Jesus on June 10, 2011 while residing in Pinetop, Arizona. Tena was the daughter of Fred and Liddia McQueen Simmons. She grew up in Somerville and graduated from Fayette County High School in 1949. From an early age, Tena had a passion for God and for all people. Her love and friendship knew no boundaries of race, culture, or religion. In June 1950 Tena married Richard E. Morris at the First Baptist Church in Somerville. Richard was the son of R. Grady Morris and Clyde W. Morris. Together Tena and Richard had a pastoral and missionary ministry which spanned 35 years. Richard and Tena were appointed by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board as missionaries to Taiwan in May 1958. They were the first Southern Baptist missionaries to study the Taiwanese language. Together they began teaching English classes and Bible studies, and helped establish Taiwanese Baptist churches around the island. Highlights of their ministry in Taiwan included the founding of the Kaohsiung Baptist Polio Kindergarten, providing educational and medical services for children who were victims of polio. In the late 1970's Richard and Tena began the Seaman's Center in the port city of Kaohsiung, home of the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet. Tena called the guys "our sailors" and she quickly became "Mom" when she served them home made biscuits and brownies. Richard was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's) disease in January of 1985 and they returned to Arizona from Taiwan for the last time. He died eight months later, leaving Tena a widow at the age of 53. She began another phase of her life as the Southern Arizona ALS Association president and patient liaison. For seven years she provided information and assistance to patients and their families. In 1992 Tena married Tommy Putnam of Ponca City, Oklahoma in Tucson, Arizona. They had 19 happy years of traveling internationally and being hosts for friends and family at their cabin home in Pinetop. Tena loved to cook and was an outstanding hostess, especially famous for her Tennessee buttermilk biscuits. In 2005 Tena and Tommy visited Taiwan. It was an opportunity for Tena to share her "Chinese home" with Tommy and to celebrate a ministry which is still ongoing after 50 years. Tena remained fluent in Taiwanese all of her life. She called Taiwanese "the language of her heart." Tena loved reading the Bible and taught each of her five daughters how to study, memorize and treasure scripture. Tena Morris Putnam leaves a rich legacy of loving people. Her relationship with Christ radiated through her life. Tena was an ardent prayer warrior. As her health declined in the past four years from cancer, she was unable to do the things she enjoyed for friends, neighbors and her family. Still, she continued to pray faithfully every day. Tena is survived by her husband, Tommy G. Putnam, of Pinetop. In addition she is survived by 6 daughters and sons-in-law: Nina (Bob) Putnam Smith, of Portland, Tennessee; Marilyn (Danny) Hill, of Pinetop; Rozanne (Mark) Baker, of Dolores, Colorado; Melanie (Peter) Watson, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Beverly (Rob) Vugteveen, of Carson City, Nevada; and Grace (Ed) Phillips, of Tucson, Arizona. Tena leaves one sister and brother-in-law, June (Bill) Ross, of Jackson, Tennessee. She is also survived by brother-in-law Bobby (Bonnie) Morris, sister-in-law Libba (Carlton) Morris of Somerville, Tennessee, and many nieces and nephews. Her spiritual children are countless. Tena Putnam has 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Richard Morris, and granddaughter, Lisa Hill. Funeral services will be held in Pinetop, Arizona on June 14 at First Baptist Church at 1 p.m. and at the First Baptist Church in Somerville, Tennessee on June 18 at 3 p.m. Burial will be in Somerville. The family requests that memorial donations be made in Liddia's name to The White Mountain Hospice Foundation P.O. Box 1975 Lakeside, Arizona 85929.