My grandmother, Mary Jane Hartley Morris, was born in April of 1873 and died in July of 1945 before I was born, so I never met her or my grandfather Joe. Her parents were William James "Jim" Hartley and Rachel Frances "Fannie" Parker. She had ten siblings, but three of them died as infants. She married Joseph Morris on July 4th, 1897, in Covington County, Alabama. They had nine children: John, Dan, Lena, Lora, Gray, Buna, Fred, Houston, and Clara. They lived in Westover (near today's McKenzie) in 1900. In 1910, 1920, and 1930 they lived in River Falls. They lived at Dunham Camp for a few years in the 1930's, and also lived in Georgiana for a few years. In 1940, Mary's husband Joe died in Georgiana in January, and by April of 1940 she is shown on the census living back in River Falls with three of her children and her grandson Leroy "Tobe." Mary Jane Morris moved to Mobile between 1940 and 1945. She died in Mobile, Alabama, on July 16th, 1945, and was buried beside her husband in Bethel/Bushfield Cemetery near the Butler County line in Covington County.

Obit [from the Mobile Register, July, 1945]
Mrs. Mary Jane MORRIS--Died at a local hospital Monday morning, July 16, 1945, at 2:45 o'clock. The remains were sent to Georgiana, Ala., with interment to be had at McKenzie, Ala. in the Bethel Cemetery. She is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Lena NYE [error, should be Knight], Tampa, Fla.; Mrs. Lora HODGE, Dade City, Fla.; Mrs. Buna JOINER, and Mrs. Clara PERRY, both of Mobile, Ala.; five sons, Mr. John MORRIS, Andalusia, Ala.; Dan MORRIS, River Falls, Ala.; Grey MORRIS, United States Army; Fred MORRIS, Georgiana, Ala. and H. D. MORRIS, Chickasaw, Ala. and other relatives. Arrangements by Higgins Mortuary.