Morris, Richard "Curly" (1933-2014)
MORRIS, TOEL, PETERSON, SUTER, ALLEN, ANDERSON, MATTSON, BLUNK, RICHTER, LAYDEN, JACKSON
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 12/10/2014 at 15:55:32
Richard "Curly" Morris
September 6, 1933 - November 9, 2014Alta, Iowa
Richard “Curly” Morris, age 81, of Alta, passed away on Sunday, November 09, 2014, at his Alta residence.
“Curly” Richard Lee Morris was born on September 6, 1933, to Herbert and Agnes (Toel) Morris in Lawrence County, Missouri, while the family was visiting his ailing grandmother. When he was only three days old, he traveled with his family to their home in Westfield, Iowa.
Baptized on December 28, 1933, in Preston Township, Plymouth County, Iowa, and confirmed on January 11, 1959, at Bethel Lutheran Church in Sutherland, Iowa, Curly started school at the age of four. While attending a country school in Rural Plymouth County, as legend has it, he had to walk uphill both to and from school! At the age of eight, he moved with his family to the Royal, Iowa, area where they lived for about five years before relocating to Sutherland, Iowa. Curly graduated from Sutherland High School in May of 1951 as one of the top students in his class.
On June 6, 1954, Curly married Sandra Leah Peterson at Trinity Lutheran Church in Linn Grove, Iowa. Together, they raised six children, marking the beginning of “Curly’s Crew.” They enjoyed opening their home to children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren alike, always keeping an extra seat available at the table for guests. In August of 1967, Curly moved his young family to Alta where they became members of Trinity Lutheran Church on February 23, 1968.
Having grown up working on a farm with very strict parents, Curly learned to work hard, a trait he has passed on to his children and grandchildren. Indeed, he, always, prided himself on a job well done. Evidence of that characteristic can be found throughout Alta and the surrounding community. He worked as a carpenter and started Morris Construction Company. He eventually passed on this business to his son Ronnie after working alongside him for years. As a self-taught plumber, electrician, engineer, mason, and carpet layer, he, also, took great pleasure in the challenges posed by remodeling projects, no matter how difficult.
In addition to farming and construction, Curly held many other jobs including working for Iowa Electric of Peterson, house moving with Wayne Tharp of Sutherland, and plumbing and welding with John and Mike Powell also of Sutherland. He built the Lutheran church in Sutherland with Pete Krekow and also helped build the Lutheran church in Decorah, Iowa, while working with C.I. Hershman of Laurens. As an independent carpenter, he worked with Fuzzy Johanason of Sutherland and Dean Peters of Alta. After “retiring,” he tried his hand at working on an electrical underground crew for North Central Line Service owned by his son-in-law Larry Suter. He was also code enforcer for the City of Alta before going to Arkansas to build his “LAST” house. In his final job, Curly served as mayor of Alta for two years.
Very active and committed to bettering the community in which he lived, Curly built the Youth Center while living in Sutherland and served as president of the Young Couples Club. Moreover, he donated his time and tools to help build the community building and playground in Alta. A member of the 1978 Centennial Committee, he used his experience to give advice to the 2003 Quasquicentennial Committee. He served on the Alta Fire Department for eighteen years where he enjoyed participating on the water fighting team. He won several competitions. Moreover, he attended many of the annual firemen’s conventions throughout Iowa and looked forward to those trips each year. He served on the Planning and Zoning Board for many years but had to give up that position when he became mayor. He coached little league and later Babe Ruth for several years followed by many years of umpiring duties for both baseball and softball teams. Curly was instrumental in getting girls softball started in Alta.
Although hard work characterized his life, Curly, also, found time to enjoy hobbies such as bowling, snowmobiling, deer and pheasant hunting, and fishing, activities which would lead to trips to many different places in the surrounding states. After completing high school, he played semi-pro football with the Sutherland Sharks. For that reason, he, always, encouraged and otherwise supported his sons and their friends while they played sports in high school. He was an avid fan of the Hawkeyes, the Cubs, and anyone playing the Broncos. In the past few years, he followed the Buffalo Bills and became a fan of NASCAR. His garden and lawn (both weed-less) were two of his biggest passions. He always had a garden big enough to feed an army; nothing went to waste. He, even, helped can the produce he grew.
Curly is survived by his wife of sixty years, Sandra Morris, of Alta, Iowa; his children, Desi (Larry) Suter, of Alta, Iowa, Debbie Allen, of Hamburg, New York, Rick (Cheryl) Morris, of Glidden, Iowa, Annie (Greg) Anderson, of Boerne, Texas, Ronald (Beth) Morris, of Alta, Iowa, and Roger (Lois) Morris, of Spencer, Iowa; thirteen grandchildren, Monica (Brian) Mattson, Chris (Faye) Allen, Doug (Sherry) Allen, Danielle (Fred) Jackson, Clay (Katie) Morris, Leah (Brandon) Blunk, Amber (Tim) Richter, Ashley Anderson, Aaron Anderson, Katie (Ryley) Layden, Levi (Katie) Morris, Dana Morris, and Tanner Morris; sixteedn great-grandchildren, Kyler and Kaylee Mattson; Brecken, Adrianne, and Brynn Allen; Braeden, Kaelen, Jaeden, and Maecen Jackson; Bryli and Beckham Blunk; Gracie and Kase Morris; Sumner and Oliver Richter; and Morris Layden; as well as by numerous extended family members and friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Agnes Morris; his parents-in-law, Emmett and Dorothy Peterson; his grandparents, Samuel and Hattie Morris and Ben and Anna Toel; his brothers, Robert and James Morris; his sisters-in-law, Carol Morris and Sandra Peterson; and his grandsons, Andrew and Kyle Suter.
Visitation: Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home, Alta, Iowa, Friday, November 14, 2014, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Funeral: Trinity Lutheran Church, Alta, Iowa, Saturday, November 15, 2014, at 10:30 a.m.
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Alta, Iowa, Saturday, November 15, 2014.Copyright © 2014, Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Homes
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