Frances was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on February 8, 1930, to Richard Henry and Frances
Neville Currie Peake. She lived with her parents and younger brother, Richard Henry Peake,
junior in their home on the Elizabeth River in Norfolk where she enjoyed many happy hours on
the beach and pier in front of their house.
In the summer of 1945, her aunt, Mrs. Joseph Fielding Robinson, invited her to spend the
summer with her and her grandmother, Mrs. James Hector Currie in their home on North State
Street. She fell in love with Jackson, and when they invited her to stay and attend Central High
her junior year, and her parents agreed, she did. She graduated from Central in 1947, and then
went to MSCW and graduated in 1951.
Frances was a devout Christian and worshipped at the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew on
Capitol Street. She was baptized and confirmed in the First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk,
Virginia and when first coming to Jackson, she regularly attended the First Presbyterian Church
in Jackson and sang in the choir. She attended Saint Andrew’s with her aunt Nancy and while in
college she decided to join the Episcopal Church. She attended Saint Paul’s while going to
school in Columbus and joined Saint Andrew’s after graduation, when she returned to live in
Jackson. She has been a devoted member of that congregation since 1951. She has
participated in many different ministries of the church, for many years as a member of the Altar
Guild and a member of the Parish Choir. She enjoyed doing Christmas and Easter
arrangements for the Altar, as well as for regular Sunday worship services.
In December 1949, she was invited to make her debut in Jackson under the auspices of The
Debutante Club of Mississippi and during the presentation parties, her cousin, Rodes Currie
from Meridian, an Ole Miss Law student, introduced her to his friend, Dan Morse, a fellow law
student and friend from Jackson who later became her husband.
Frances and Dan were married in Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church on February 23, 1952, with
Dr. Vincent Franks, the Rector officiating, and their reception was held in the ballroom of the
Edwards Hotel (now the renovated King Edward Hotel). Dan was now practicing law with his
father at Morse and Morse in the city and they made their home on North State Street.
Three children were born into this union, Daniel Wilkinson Morse, Jr., Nancy Neville Morse, and
Eugene Richard Morse, who with their families, make their homes in Jackson. Her family was
very important to her and she felt very close to each of them.
Frances loved living in Jackson and enjoyed the many religious, cultural, educational, and
gardening opportunities that presented themselves to her. As a new bride, she was invited to
join the Junior League of Jackson, and enjoyed learning so many new areas about her city and
state and continued to value her membership. She was a member of the National Society of the
Colonial Dames of America and as a member of the Mississippi Society served for two terms of
five years each on the Board of Regents of Gunston Hall, the home of Founding Father of our
country, George Mason (the author of our Bill of Rights), in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the
Mississippi Regent. For ten years she was Chairman of The Oaks House Museum on Jefferson
Street in Jackson. She was active on the Mississippi Board for many years and served as the
State Registrar.
Gardens, gardening, flowers-all aspects of landscaping always interested her. She was a longtime member of Twin Pines Garden Club and was a founding member of the Jackson Garden
Club, A Garden Club of America Member. She was a Flower Show Judge and a member of the
Mississippi Landscape Design Consultant Council and a longtime member of the Board of
Directors of the Garden Clubs of Mississippi. She gave numerous programs to garden clubs.
She was interested in art and artists and was involved with the Mississippi Art Association and
then the Mississippi Museum of Art. She was corresponding secretary on the first Board of the
Mississippi Museum of Art Auxiliary and several years later served as president. She was also a
member of the Gallery Guild.
She loved being an appreciative member of the audience for the Mississippi Symphony
Orchestra, Mississippi Opera, and New Stage Theatre and participating in the many activities of
the IBC.
She enjoyed the company of her many friends of all ages and enjoyed keeping up with their
activities. She was active in her Book Club, the Americana Antique Club and the Research Club
and several ladies' luncheon clubs, The Matrons, One O’clock, LeDejeuner, and Southern
Luncheon clubs.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dan Morse, on April 8, 1992. Also preceded in
death by her nephew, Dwight Peake (Rhonda).
She is survived by her three children and their families, Dan and Denise Morse, Nancy Morse
Parkes, Gene and Lynda Morse, and her adored grandchildren, Joshua Daniel Morse, Sarah
Frances Parkes Wilkerson (Bobby), Elizabeth Marie Parkes, Annie Morse Parkes, Mildred
(Millie) Judith Morse, William Eugene Morse III, and Cole Madeline Morse, all of Jackson, and
her brother, Richard Peake of Wise, Virginia and Galveston, Texas, and her nephew Tom
Peake (Laurie) of Falls Church, Virginia, and nephews, the Reverend George Woodliff (Jill) of
Yazoo City, Mississippi; Dr. Dan Morse Woodliff (Kathy), and nieces, Ann Woodliff of Medina,
Washington, and Bishop Ruthie Woodliff-Stanley (Nate) of Charleston, South Carolina, and
Barbara Yarborough Newell of Jackson, and first cousins, Rachel Currie Martin of Oxford,
Mississippi and Rigdon Currie (Trish) of San Diego, California.
Her life will be celebrated at her funeral service on December 3, 2022 at 11 o’clock at the
Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew at 305 Capitol Street, with visitation, an hour before the
service, in Saint Francis Hall, and her ashes will be interred with her beloved husband, Dan, in
the columbarium at the church
To send flowers or plant a tree in memory of Frances Peake Morse, visit the
Tribute Store.
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