George O. Morris

MORRIS, MCWAYNE, WAGENSCHUTZ, RITSON, HASS, TOMS

Posted By: Ruth Maring - Volunteer (email)
Date: 10/17/2006 at 13:33:19

The Clinton Herald
Published: October 13, 2006 11:41 am

George O. Morris

Visitation: 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Home and Crematory with a Rose Croix service at 7 p.m.

Services: 10:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home with the Rev. Connie Peake officiating.Burial will be at Clinton Lawn Cemetery.

CLINTON — George O. Morris, 94, of Clinton, died Friday at Wyndcrest Nursing Home, Clinton.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons and his Masonic brothers.

He was born Oct. 17, 1911, in Port Huron, Mich., to George T. and Nora L. McWayne Morris. He married Viola Wagenschutz in 1935. She died in 1954. He married Ruth Ritson on April 7, 1956,in Florida. She did in 2004.

He was a 1928 graduate of Port Huron High School.

He started as the store manager of the J.J. Newberry Quarter and Dollar Store in Decatur, Ind. He then was employed with Central Soy in Decatur and Master Mix Feed. He moved to Clinton in 1942 and became the head of sales and marketing training with Pillsbury Feeds. From 1956 until his retirement he was the public relations and human resource manager with Machel Oil. After his retirement he worked with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office serving papers.

He was a member of First United Presbyterian Church, Clinton, Western Star Lodge 100, AF and AM, Clinton Scottish Rite Bodies and Kaaba Shrine, a charter member and past-president of Clinton High 12, a member of the Clinton Rotary Club, the first commodore of Clinton Riverboat Days, served for more than 25 years with the Clinton Park Board and was honored by having a park named after him in Clinton. During his time on the park board he was instrumental in getting the showboat to Clinton, the modernization of the municipal pool, the building of the Ericksen Community Center and the Clinton Recreational Trail.

Survivors include one daughter, Carol (Jim) Hass of Cordova, Ill.; a stepson, Darrel (Jan) Toms of Sacramento; three grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Clinton Masonic Center.

He was preceded in death by his parents, both wives and one sister.

Death date: Oct. 13, 2006