WILLIAM THOMAS MORTON I


William was born June 15, 1847 in Marshall Co., TN and died April 26, 1921 in Dallas, TX. On May 9, 1871 he married Mary Elizabeth Fancher in Jackson, Madison Co., TN.
In 1965 from "The incomplete record of the Morton Family" by C. Ernest Morton, he tells this about Mary Elizabeth: "Her father died in the Civil War and was buried in an unknown grave at Atlanta, Ga. Her father was a wealthy land and slave owner in Louisiana. When he died she was only a child and a guardian took her inheritance by fraud."
Their children;

EMMA MORTON

    Emma Morton was born 1876 and died 1955 in AR?. She married Willis Andrews. They lived in Ravenden Springs, AR.
    Child of Ernma Morton and Willis Andrews is:
 

IRMA ANDREWS

    Irma Andrews born, Unknown.

WILLIAM THOMAS MORTON II

MARIA EUDORA MORTON

ARTHUR BROWN MORTON

ALLAN LONG MORTON, Sr.

    Allan Long Morton was born 1883, and died 1954. He married Katie C. Sanders. She was born Unknown, and died Mar. 1972. They are both buried in Jefferson Memorial Gardens Birmingham, Trussville Co., AL
    Children of Allan Morton and Katie Sanders are:

JOHN WESLEY MORTON, Sr.

    John West Morton. He and his brother, Allan, married twin sisters, and both had twins.

 Children of John Wesley Morton are:
Beverly Morton
Doris Morton
Jamie Morton
 

BOYETTE E. MORTON


Boyette E. Morton.

Children of Boyette E. Morton are:
Steve Morton
Barry Morton
Cathlee Lynn Morton
Todd Morton.

ALLAN LONG MORTON JR.

Allan Long Morton, Jr.

 Children of Allan Long Morton, Jr. are:
Wayne Morton
Shirley Morton
Sharon Morton.

JESSE THOMAS MORTON

    Jesse Thomas Morton, was born Jan. 1, 1906 in Birmingham, Al and died Oct. 6, 1997 in Birmingham, Al. He married (1) Rosa Lorene Hughes 1931. She died Mar. 1986. He married (2) Velm Garrick in May 1991.

Aritcle in the ST. CLAIR NEWS-AEGIS (AL), January 4, 1996: Written by Carolyn Garrick Stem Special Projects Editor of Progressive Farmer and the stepdaughter of Mr. Morton.

 "MORTON HAS PACKED A LOT OF LIVING INTO 90 YEARS"

 "On Jan. 1, Jessie Thomas Morton, a long-time Cropwell resident celebrated his 90th birthday. He's seen remarkable changes during those nine decades in Cropwell, Pell City, and Birmingham, and his agile memory holds a wealth of scenes and people from the past."
"Morton was born in a house on 4th Avenue South and 19th Street in Birmingham, across the street from a firehouse. In an area where UAB now dominates the skyline, he watched horses race out to the firehouse, pulling the fire wagon, to fight the numerous fires that were typical of the period."
"As residential arm spread out in all directions fiorn downtown Birmingham~ his family moved to East Lake, where he aftended Barrel Elementary School, Woodlawn High School and Howard College."
"His professional life has covered several careers and began in a print shop, where he worked with his father. Banking was his occupation from 1925 to 1942. In 1931 he married a school teacher named Lorene Hughes Though they continued to live in East Lake, the Mortons bought 120 acres in Cropwell in 1932."
"Farming was the main occupation in the area at that time, as in most of the state. Pell City was just beginning to attract industrial attention. There were no paved roads in Cropwell, and the only businesses were those that offered essential services to farmers. The post office and a drugstore shared a building, and a general store was located where Tims Antiques is now. A grist mill, a cotton gin, and Cropwell Baptist Church were nearby."
"In 1938, Morton bought the Blair-Jones property across the road and down a bit from the church. The property included a late Victonan house that's now painted a sprightly blue. "The house needed some work," Morton says, so after some renovation, he moved his family to Cropwell in 1940.
"An enterprise begun in 1939 occupied the family's interest for several years, Mrs. Morton had bought a doll for their toddler daughters birthday and made a bed out of a market basket, covered with cloth. Morton took it to his workshop and built a stand so that it would swing."
"A chance conversation with someone at Sears, Roebuck & Co. in Birmingiarn led to a few orders for the store, to half a dozen, then to a dozen within the week. Spurred by this interest, the Mortons acquired a patent for the cradle and a broker in New York. During the next several yeas thousands were sold across the country, and the business employed up to 15 workers at one time."
"In the 1940s, in addition to manufacturing cradles, Morton raised cotton and com, sold chickens, and had a dairy. He later started raising beef cattle, which he still does, with the help of his son and grandson.
"Another career path took him into the construction business in the 1950s. He spent 20 years with Harbert Construction Corporation as purchasing agent. After retiring from Harbert in 1972 he worked for several years in other construction businesses before retiring again.
"He and Velma Garrick Morton were married in May 1991, and went on their honeymoon to Jamaica to revisit places he had traveled while working for Harbert. His primary occupation today, besides keeping up with his beef cattle is identifying the ever-mounting number of birds that are drawn to his many feeders."
"Morton has a son, Tommy, who is retired from the U.S. Air Force and lives in Pell City. His daughter, Dr. Katherine Hunter, is a microbiologist at BMC-Mountclair. He also has a grandson, Pete Morton and three granddaughters, Mary Clinkscales, and Susan and Diane Hunter."
"Over the years, he has maintained an interest in community affairs. Early on, he carried out numerus responsibilities in the Pell City United methodist Church. When the Saint Simon Peter Episcopal Church wanted to start building in 1970, he wouldn't sell them land. "But I told them I'd give than two acres!"
"Morton has been on the board of directors of the Pell City Educational Foundation Program Inc., since it was organized several years ago. His family was recently honored for a contribution to the foundation in the name of his late wife who was a teacher and principal at Cropwell Elementary School.
"According to Morton, his philosophy of life was determined when he was a senior in high school. "Other boys were putting down something in the school annual that said their ambition was to go out with a lot of pretty girls," recalled Morton. Mine was,to bear the infirmities of life so that when I finish this course it will be said, it was well he passed this way.' And that's the way I've tried to live my life. And I've married two Pretty Girls."
The following was written by Thomas E. Morton about his father, Jesse, in February, 1998, to be published in the history of St. Clair Co., AL:

JESSE THOMAS MORTON, 1906-1997

"Jesse was the fir-st born son of Allen L Morton (1885-1954) and Katie Saunders Morton (b. unknown - d. March 1972). Both buried at Jefferson Mernorial Gardens in Birmingham (Trussville) Alabama. Jesse had three brothers: AllenL.Jr.; John W. and BoyetteE. (Sunshine)."
"Jesse grew up in Birmingham in the Eastlake area. As a youngster he worked with a Dr. Mhbeffy milking cows and misc. farm work where the Birmingham airport is now located. He attended and graduated from Woodlawn High School (Birmingham). Later, in 1928, while working as a bank teller for the Wahoma Savings Bank (now Regions Bank, Birmingham ) he was involved in a daring bank robbery. We have the newspaper account of this. Later he met Rosa Lorene Hughes in May 1931. In April, 1932, their son Thomas Edward was born. In 1938, Jesse and Lorene bought 120 acres in Cropwell, about 35 miles from Birmingham. While still living in Birmingham, he had a tenant farmer, a colored man named Joe Calhoun and family, Rose and Annie Lee. They were a wonderful good hardworking family. They tended the farm raising cotton, com, and the things they needed for the home. Jesse and family came out every weekend. He was still working, now at the Exchange Bank in Five Points in Southside Birmingham Lorene had been teaching school since they were married."
"In September, 1939, they had a daughter, Rosa Katherine. Katherine attended local schools, later Montewvallo and then Vanderbilt for a Doctor degree in Microbiology. She is now with the Baptist Hospital Montclair and others in the system"
"About this period of time, Jesse and Lorene started making doll cradles (Kitty Kay Cradles) in their home in Birmingham. These were sold to Sears Roebuck and several large stores in New York. They could hardly keep up with their orders because of World War II. Also about 1943-44, Jesse bought the old Blair Jones farm in Cropwell, as a way to the other farm, they are very close together. In the spring of 1945, the family moved to Cropwell, living in the old Jones house. Jesse was still working at the bank in Birmingham, making cradles and looking after the farm (with tenant farmers, again two colored men, John Roberson and his son-in-law Tom Evans). They raised cotton, corn, and gardens for both their rather large families.
"In 1945, Tommy (Thomas) went to McCallie school for the school year. He was very unsatisfied and the next two years went to Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee where on occasion he met Charles E. Morton, the son of Eamest Morton, Allen L. Mortons brother. Tommy later graduated from Pell City High School in 195 1.
"By now we had dairy and registered Guernsey cows which Tommy and Katherine exhibited at the different cattle shows and fairs in Birmingham."
"Now the Korean conflict had started. Tommy entered the US Air Force in August 1951-1955. He was married in 1952 and had a son Thomas Allan. Tommy returned to the Air Force in 1956 and retired from the Air Force in February, 1972."
"By now Jesse had also retired from the Harbert Construction in Birmingham and Lorene had retired from teaching many years in various schools in and around Pell City. Jesse had the farms but was limited to beef cattle only, with Tommy looking after them.
"Tonnny had a daughter, Mary Lou, born while stationed at Elgin AFB, FL. As a family they traveled to North Africa and later to Hawaii..
"After Tommy retired and returned to Pell City, Thomas A (Pete) married and had three children: Angela, Chris, and Will. He later divorced and has not remarried (1998)
"Mary married Alan Pressley and had a son, Jemay Vernon Pressley, born January 21, 1979. She later divorced and than married Gary Clinkscales fromVincent They had another son, Joshua Stephen, and a daughter, Mary Elizabeth. In June 1997, Jeremy joined the USAF and is presently stationed in Aviano, Italy.
"Tommy was divorced in 1992. He later married a wonderful lady Ruth (Clements) Lee whom he had known quite a while. Since Tom retired from the Air Force, he has looked after the farm and operated a cabinet shop. He and Ruth had a house framed by a contractor (Mike Jones) and they finished it making a very nice home.
"Lorene passed away in March 1986 after a long illness with Alzheimer's. Jesse, being totally retired and his health still good, remarried in 1990. A few years later he started slowly downhill (1993-1994). Then in February, 1997, he entered Montclair Hospital in Birmingham for radiation and chemotherapy treatments. He was moved to Ingram Manor Nursing Home in April, 1997, where he passed away October 6, 1997. Thus ending a long era for the older Morton generation.
"At this time the farms are in the hands of Tommy and Katherine. Katherine married Edward Hunter. In 1964 they had twin girls, Diane and Susan."

 Children of Jesse Motion and Rosa Hughes are
THOMAS MORTON was born April 1932. He married 1st Wife 1952. He married (2) Ruth Clements Lee Dec. 1994. Military service: Bet. 1951 - 1955, US Air Force
Children of Thomas Morton and 1st Wife are:
Thomas Allan Morton.
Mary Lou Morton was born in FL,

 ROSA KATHERINE MORTON, Dr. was born Sept.. 1939. She married Edward Hunter.

Article in the St. Clair News-Aegis (AL), September 28,1995;

 FOUNDATION RECEIVES CHAIR FROM MORTON FAMILY by Hope Blankenship -- News-Aegis Reporter

"PELL CITY - The Pell City School Educational Foundation recently held a dedication ceremony in memory of Mrs. Rosa Lorene Morton.
"J. T. Morton, Mrs. Morton's husband, has been an avid supporter of the Foundation since its creation in 1992. Mrs. morton taught school for 42 years, said former student and charter member of the foundation, David Jackson.
"Accordingto Jackson's speech, Mrs, niodon attended school in Birmingham and graduated from Paul Hayne High School. She went on to graduate from Alabama College in Montevallo, (The University of Montevallo), where she received both her B.S. and Master's Degree
"Mrs. Morton taught in the Birmingham public schools between 1928-1940, She was a supply or substitute teacher teadier at South St. Clair Elementary (Iola Roberts) between 1940-1970. Mrs. Morton retired in 1970.
"Jackson said that Mrs. Morton was a strict disciplinarian. 'She was firm, but fair. I'm told that she changed the attitudes of trouble makers in her classes on several occasions.'
"According to Jackson, Mrs. Morton provided innovated (sic) ways for her fourth grade students to learn Alabama History. He said that she made you want to learn history.
"The endowment gift which creates this Chair of the Foundation today, will Ruther enhance our grant program. It will mean more tunds available for teachers to use in implementing projects and programs such as those of Mrs. Morton. I believe she would have been a staunch supporter of our program, because through this funding students are exposed to a wide range of materials and activities."said Jackson.
"According to the Foundations pamphlet, each individual, business or organization which donates $10,000 or more at one time. or over a period of up to five years, will be distinguished as Chair of the Foundation. The donor receives a distinctive commemorative chair, which may be dedicated in honor or in memory of the person of the donors choice!
"Mrs. morton's daughter, Dr. Kathrine Morton Hunter, Microbiologist at BMC-Mountclair, unveiled the chair that would remain in the Pell City High School lobby and the chair which went to her father. She said that her mother had always wanted to be Queen for a Day' so she could buy books for her students. She never got that chance, Dr. Hunter said, but today maybe she can through the Foundation."
    Children of Rosa Morton and Edward Hunter are
Susan Hunter
Diane Hunter
 

JAMES EDGAR MORTON, Sr.

    James was born about 1888, he married and they had at least one child.

JAMES EDGAR MORTON, Jr.

    Nothing known about James, Jr.
 

CHARLES ERNEST MORTON, Sr.

    Charles Ernest Morton Sr. was born Dec. 25, 1890 and died Dec. 25, 1974. He married Sophia Hamblen July 3, 1913. He wrote tho book, THE HOUSE OF POTEPRAR

CHARLES ERNEST MORTON, Jr.

    Charles Emest Morton, Jr. was born Aug. 4, 1918. He married Emma Sewell Oct. 27, 1945.

Child of Charles Morton and Emma Sewell is:
Charles E. Morton was born Jul.y 30, 1947. He married (1) Dottie Griffin- and (2) Rhonda Rice Hammond.

SOPHIA REBA MORTON

    Sophia Reba Morton was born July 30, 1922. . She married John Robert Sanders, Sr., June 14, 1946.
Children of Sophia Morton and John Sanders are:
John Robert Sanders, Jr. was born Nov. 9, 1951. Occupation: Sound technician with country music stars.
Jane Morton Sanders was born Feb. 2.1956, she married Frank Carl Lynch. Frank's occupation: Lawyer, Winchester, TN.

JEANNE MARIE MORTON

    Jeanne Marie Morton was born Jan. 15, 1927. She married Charles Turney Stevens July 12, 1949. Charles is Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee. Operated Stevens Pharmacy 43 years.
Children of Jeanne Morton and Charles Stevens are:
Charles Tumey Stevens, Jr was born Sept. 29, 1950 and married Ann Beckman Parrish, May 1, 1982. He attended Vanderbilt University.
Alice Jeanne Stevens was born April 1, 1956. She is an Artist.

JOHN WEST MORTON, Sr.

    John West Morton, Sr. was born Jan. 8, 1900 in Nashville, TN, and died Jan. 6, 1980 in Dallas, TX. He married Gladys Nellie Rhodes June 4, 1923 in Dallas, TX.
"He was given a choice of middle names, Quincy or West, and chose West. Quincy was probably for Mollie Fancher's younger brother and West was the middle name of John West Fancher, Jr. and Sr., her father and grandfather." His SS # is 413-07-5166. They are both buried at Restland Cemetery, Dallas, TX.
John Morton and Gladys Rhodes had one child,
John West Morton, Jr., born March 3, 1925 in Dallas, TX. He married Anita Marie Kezer Dec. 23, 1950 in Stillwater, OK.
"
Children of John Morton and Anita Kezer are:
SUSAN ELIZABETH MORTON was born Oct. 19, 1952 in Cincinnati, OH. She married David Bruce Berry May 26, 1974 in Pinos Altos, NM. She is the Director of the Silver City Museum, a regional history museum Susan and David have a 13-year old son, Andrew Berry was born in 1986.
Susan wrote this about her father and grandfather; "Apparently my grandfather and your father were acquainted and aware oftheir cousin relationship, which is how my father came to be aware that he was related to you. My father tells me that he and my grandfather ran into your father in downtown Dallas right after my father got his bachelors degree in chemistry, and he says your father offered him a job (having just been accepted to graduate school, my father declined. My father was born in Dallas, and grew up there and in Memphis. John West Morton, Sr., my grandfather had a 50-year career with Proctor & Gamble. My dad attended Vickary-Hillcrest High School and SMU in Dallas, before going to Iowa State University for his doctorate. After working in industry for several years, he taught at Louisiana Tech and Western New Mexico University. He retired in the early 1980's.
JUDITH BARBARA MORTON was born Jan. 25, 1955, Ruston, LA; she married Stephen Marshall Cook. They live in Rochester, Minnesota. They have a 19-year old son, Miles, going to WNMU in Silver City, NM and a16 year old son, Gabriel, living at home."
 

EDWARD MORTON

ROBERT MORTON