Morris C Graff was born on June 27, 1925 in Joplin, Missouri to Morris Charles and Nellie May (née CLARK) GRAFF. Per Morris, his middle name is simply the letter "C"; it is not an initial for a middle name beginning with "C". He was the first child of five children born to Morris Charles and Nellie May. His younger siblings were: Dan, Melvina, Buck and Mary.
During World War II, Morris was in the Civil Service and the Merchant Marines. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor from January 1945 to March 1946.
Upon returning home after the war, Morris proposed to his high school sweetheart Rema L. HOWARD, the daughter of Arthur G. and Madeline A. (née CUPP) HOWARD. The couple were united in marriage on July 6, 1946 in Joplin and their lives were blessed with a family of four daughters and one son.
From 1947-1950, he worked as a mechanic at Indian Motorcycle Sales and Service at 2221 East 7th Street in Joplin. He then became a television technician (also known as a teletrician during this era; a term which had been registered with the U. S. patent office in 1938 by the National Radio Institute (NRI), America's oldest and largest home-study radio-television-electronics school) for Thomas Appliance and Television Center at 311 Main Street in Joplin. He later went into business for himself where he owned and operated the Morris Television Service (later known as the GRAFF Television Service Company) for twenty-five years.
Morris became a member of the Duenweg School Board, served as a leader of Boy Scouts, and coached Duenweg Little League for many years. During 1960, because the Duenweg community did not have a Little League baseball field, Morris decided to build one south of his home on land he owned at the southwest corner of the intersection of East 7th Street and Kenser Road. He, his father Morris Charles, and his son Richard began the project using their own skills and labor; soon volunteer work days were setup where other Little League fathers and their sons came to contribute to the construction of the baseball field. Their joint efforts provided the community with a Little League baseball field and a truly enjoyable place for families in the community to come together to socialize with cookouts, potluck dish parties, and friendship – it was a "Field of Dreams".
The 1960 Duenweg Little League Team is pictured on this Memorial, please refer to the photograph. The team is on their new baseball field with their coaches; out of view to the northeast, behind the team, is the intersection of 7th Street and Kenser Road. Team Roster: Left to Right, Front Row: Mike ENDICOTT, Billy REID, Dennis LAWSON, Paul BARKER, Larry JOHNSON, Dennis GILLIAM; Middle Row: Jim PIM, Richard GRAFF, Dick SMITH, David WARMAN, unknown, Billy COOK, David BLACK; Back Row: Coach Morris C GRAFF (father of Richard GRAFF) and Coach Ben PIM, Jr. (father of Jim PIM).
Morris loved to watch golf and especially play it -- from 1990 to 2007 he was an avid golfer. Schifferdecker Golf Course in Joplin was his favorite local course, but he loved the challenge of playing courses he had never played before. Besides playing a variety of courses in the four states area (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma), he played courses in Hawaii and Las Vegas with his family and friends.
In the summer of 2000, Morris and his teammate, Max BROWN, entered the Senior Olympic Golf Tournament held at the Briarbrook County Club north of Joplin. Morris and Max placed first in the tournament and they were each presented with a Senior Olympic gold medal for their achievement.
During World War II, Morris was in the Civil Service and the Merchant Marines. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor from January 1945 to March 1946.
Upon returning home after the war, Morris proposed to his high school sweetheart Rema L. HOWARD, the daughter of Arthur G. and Madeline A. (née CUPP) HOWARD. The couple were united in marriage on July 6, 1946 in Joplin and their lives were blessed with a family of four daughters and one son.
From 1947-1950, he worked as a mechanic at Indian Motorcycle Sales and Service at 2221 East 7th Street in Joplin. He then became a television technician (also known as a teletrician during this era; a term which had been registered with the U. S. patent office in 1938 by the National Radio Institute (NRI), America's oldest and largest home-study radio-television-electronics school) for Thomas Appliance and Television Center at 311 Main Street in Joplin. He later went into business for himself where he owned and operated the Morris Television Service (later known as the GRAFF Television Service Company) for twenty-five years.
Morris became a member of the Duenweg School Board, served as a leader of Boy Scouts, and coached Duenweg Little League for many years. During 1960, because the Duenweg community did not have a Little League baseball field, Morris decided to build one south of his home on land he owned at the southwest corner of the intersection of East 7th Street and Kenser Road. He, his father Morris Charles, and his son Richard began the project using their own skills and labor; soon volunteer work days were setup where other Little League fathers and their sons came to contribute to the construction of the baseball field. Their joint efforts provided the community with a Little League baseball field and a truly enjoyable place for families in the community to come together to socialize with cookouts, potluck dish parties, and friendship – it was a "Field of Dreams".
The 1960 Duenweg Little League Team is pictured on this Memorial, please refer to the photograph. The team is on their new baseball field with their coaches; out of view to the northeast, behind the team, is the intersection of 7th Street and Kenser Road. Team Roster: Left to Right, Front Row: Mike ENDICOTT, Billy REID, Dennis LAWSON, Paul BARKER, Larry JOHNSON, Dennis GILLIAM; Middle Row: Jim PIM, Richard GRAFF, Dick SMITH, David WARMAN, unknown, Billy COOK, David BLACK; Back Row: Coach Morris C GRAFF (father of Richard GRAFF) and Coach Ben PIM, Jr. (father of Jim PIM).
Morris loved to watch golf and especially play it -- from 1990 to 2007 he was an avid golfer. Schifferdecker Golf Course in Joplin was his favorite local course, but he loved the challenge of playing courses he had never played before. Besides playing a variety of courses in the four states area (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma), he played courses in Hawaii and Las Vegas with his family and friends.
In the summer of 2000, Morris and his teammate, Max BROWN, entered the Senior Olympic Golf Tournament held at the Briarbrook County Club north of Joplin. Morris and Max placed first in the tournament and they were each presented with a Senior Olympic gold medal for their achievement.
Morris C Graff was born on June 27, 1925 in Joplin, Missouri to Morris Charles and Nellie May (née CLARK) GRAFF. Per Morris, his middle name is simply the letter "C"; it is not an initial for a middle name beginning with "C". He was the first child of five children born to Morris Charles and Nellie May. His younger siblings were: Dan, Melvina, Buck and Mary.
During World War II, Morris was in the Civil Service and the Merchant Marines. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor from January 1945 to March 1946.
Upon returning home after the war, Morris proposed to his high school sweetheart Rema L. HOWARD, the daughter of Arthur G. and Madeline A. (née CUPP) HOWARD. The couple were united in marriage on July 6, 1946 in Joplin and their lives were blessed with a family of four daughters and one son.
From 1947-1950, he worked as a mechanic at Indian Motorcycle Sales and Service at 2221 East 7th Street in Joplin. He then became a television technician (also known as a teletrician during this era; a term which had been registered with the U. S. patent office in 1938 by the National Radio Institute (NRI), America's oldest and largest home-study radio-television-electronics school) for Thomas Appliance and Television Center at 311 Main Street in Joplin. He later went into business for himself where he owned and operated the Morris Television Service (later known as the GRAFF Television Service Company) for twenty-five years.
Morris became a member of the Duenweg School Board, served as a leader of Boy Scouts, and coached Duenweg Little League for many years. During 1960, because the Duenweg community did not have a Little League baseball field, Morris decided to build one south of his home on land he owned at the southwest corner of the intersection of East 7th Street and Kenser Road. He, his father Morris Charles, and his son Richard began the project using their own skills and labor; soon volunteer work days were setup where other Little League fathers and their sons came to contribute to the construction of the baseball field. Their joint efforts provided the community with a Little League baseball field and a truly enjoyable place for families in the community to come together to socialize with cookouts, potluck dish parties, and friendship – it was a "Field of Dreams".
The 1960 Duenweg Little League Team is pictured on this Memorial, please refer to the photograph. The team is on their new baseball field with their coaches; out of view to the northeast, behind the team, is the intersection of 7th Street and Kenser Road. Team Roster: Left to Right, Front Row: Mike ENDICOTT, Billy REID, Dennis LAWSON, Paul BARKER, Larry JOHNSON, Dennis GILLIAM; Middle Row: Jim PIM, Richard GRAFF, Dick SMITH, David WARMAN, unknown, Billy COOK, David BLACK; Back Row: Coach Morris C GRAFF (father of Richard GRAFF) and Coach Ben PIM, Jr. (father of Jim PIM).
Morris loved to watch golf and especially play it -- from 1990 to 2007 he was an avid golfer. Schifferdecker Golf Course in Joplin was his favorite local course, but he loved the challenge of playing courses he had never played before. Besides playing a variety of courses in the four states area (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma), he played courses in Hawaii and Las Vegas with his family and friends.
In the summer of 2000, Morris and his teammate, Max BROWN, entered the Senior Olympic Golf Tournament held at the Briarbrook County Club north of Joplin. Morris and Max placed first in the tournament and they were each presented with a Senior Olympic gold medal for their achievement.
During World War II, Morris was in the Civil Service and the Merchant Marines. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor from January 1945 to March 1946.
Upon returning home after the war, Morris proposed to his high school sweetheart Rema L. HOWARD, the daughter of Arthur G. and Madeline A. (née CUPP) HOWARD. The couple were united in marriage on July 6, 1946 in Joplin and their lives were blessed with a family of four daughters and one son.
From 1947-1950, he worked as a mechanic at Indian Motorcycle Sales and Service at 2221 East 7th Street in Joplin. He then became a television technician (also known as a teletrician during this era; a term which had been registered with the U. S. patent office in 1938 by the National Radio Institute (NRI), America's oldest and largest home-study radio-television-electronics school) for Thomas Appliance and Television Center at 311 Main Street in Joplin. He later went into business for himself where he owned and operated the Morris Television Service (later known as the GRAFF Television Service Company) for twenty-five years.
Morris became a member of the Duenweg School Board, served as a leader of Boy Scouts, and coached Duenweg Little League for many years. During 1960, because the Duenweg community did not have a Little League baseball field, Morris decided to build one south of his home on land he owned at the southwest corner of the intersection of East 7th Street and Kenser Road. He, his father Morris Charles, and his son Richard began the project using their own skills and labor; soon volunteer work days were setup where other Little League fathers and their sons came to contribute to the construction of the baseball field. Their joint efforts provided the community with a Little League baseball field and a truly enjoyable place for families in the community to come together to socialize with cookouts, potluck dish parties, and friendship – it was a "Field of Dreams".
The 1960 Duenweg Little League Team is pictured on this Memorial, please refer to the photograph. The team is on their new baseball field with their coaches; out of view to the northeast, behind the team, is the intersection of 7th Street and Kenser Road. Team Roster: Left to Right, Front Row: Mike ENDICOTT, Billy REID, Dennis LAWSON, Paul BARKER, Larry JOHNSON, Dennis GILLIAM; Middle Row: Jim PIM, Richard GRAFF, Dick SMITH, David WARMAN, unknown, Billy COOK, David BLACK; Back Row: Coach Morris C GRAFF (father of Richard GRAFF) and Coach Ben PIM, Jr. (father of Jim PIM).
Morris loved to watch golf and especially play it -- from 1990 to 2007 he was an avid golfer. Schifferdecker Golf Course in Joplin was his favorite local course, but he loved the challenge of playing courses he had never played before. Besides playing a variety of courses in the four states area (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma), he played courses in Hawaii and Las Vegas with his family and friends.
In the summer of 2000, Morris and his teammate, Max BROWN, entered the Senior Olympic Golf Tournament held at the Briarbrook County Club north of Joplin. Morris and Max placed first in the tournament and they were each presented with a Senior Olympic gold medal for their achievement.
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MORRIS C. GRAFF
1925 - 2008
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