Obituary of Herman Morris

Funeral services for Herman Alfred "Ham" Morris of Elsberry, MO will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, September 21, 2008 at Carter-Ricks Funeral Home in Elsberry. J. Larry Carter of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home will officiate with burial in the Star Hope Cemetery near Elsberry. Serving as pallbearers will be Mike Hartley II, Junior Slaughter, Casey Morris, Gus Loness, Scott Morris, Smitty Smith and Terry Schaffer. Mr. Morris, 85, died Thursday evening, September 18, 2008 at the Lincoln County Medical Center in Troy, MO. Born January 4, 1923 in Bellflower, MO, he was the son of Clarence Lester and Ora Blanche Schuster Morris. He was united in marriage on September 12, 1942 in Old Monroe, MO to Mildred Virginia "Genny" Sweazey. A veteran of World War II, he served his country in the U.S. Army from May 19, 1943 until being honorably discharged on January 7, 1946. Mr. Morris was employed for several years as a heavy equipment operator for J.H. Berra, retiring in 1985. He was a member of the Operation Engineers Local #513 in St. Louis, MO, the Elsberry Lions Club and the Elsberry VFW #9072. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence "Shorty" and Ora Blanche Morris; his step father, Roy "Casey" Lewis; two brothers, Lester Morris and Clarence Morris; one grandson, Derek Morris, who died in 1991; and his beloved wife of 60 years, Genny Morris, who died January 17, 2003. Survivors include two sons: Irv "Porky" Morris of Elsberry, and Roy Morris and his wife, Stephanie, of Elsberry; three daughters: Rita Smith and her husband Vernon "Smitty" of O'Fallon, MO, Kay Brown and her husband, Ron, of Frankford, MO, and June Schaffer and her husband, Larry, of West Des Moines, IA; 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. He also leaves one brother, Melvin Morris and his wife, Donna, of St. Charles, MO; his special shih-tzu, Nikki; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service Sunday, September 21, 2008 at Carter-Ricks Funeral Home in Elsberry. Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home, 107 South Fifth Street, Elsberry, MO 63343. Online condolences may be made at www.carterricksfuneralhome.com.