William Morton Morris

BIOGRAPHY:
When his brother and father went into Union service during the Civil War, William and his mother were left to do the farming at their family farm. After the war he was a wagon driver in Indian Territory and met his wife in Southeastern Kansas. He died of pneumonia.
(Prepared by Chester V. Swanson)

OBITUARY
William Morton Morris
William Morton Morris died Sunday January sixth, at 1:45 p. m., at his home in the Belmont neighborhood. His death was caused by heart failure following an attack of the flu.
He was the son of Captain William and Eve Ann Carpenter Morris and was born February 14, 1850 at Belmont
In company with other young men of the Belmont neighborhood he spent several years in Kansas. Here he met and was united in marriage to Mary Catherine Stearns at her home in Peru, Kansas, January 1, 1874. They came to Illinois and started house keeping at the home where they spent the remainder of their lives.
Mrs. Morris preceded him in death having passed away September 2, 1921, and one son, William Sheldon died in infancy.
Surviving him are five children Mrs. L. D. Armstrong of Little York, Mrs. D. A. McMartin of Martintown, Ontario, Canada, Mrs. Joe N. Rowley, Mrs. Royal G. Ranney, Paul R. Morris of Belmont and thirteen grandchildren. He also leaves a sister, Mrs. Martha Millis of Randolph, Iowa, and three brothers, Ralph of Strasburg, Missouri, Martin and Dudley of San Benito, Texas. One sister and three brothers preceded him in death.
Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, at the Belmont Methodist church. The services were in charge of Rev. H. T. Jackson, a former pastor and friend of the family, assisted by Rev. Reeves the present pastor. Interment was made in the Belmont cemetery. [End]
Copied by M. Keith Morris, Jr., April 19, 1998

Wm M. Morris was also a Mason, according to a letter sent to Boyd F. Morris
from the Masonic state office in Springfield, IL.