Joseph Morris was born in Greenville, Alabama, the tenth child of Ivey Morris and the fourth child of Caroline Reid Morris, Ivey's second wife. I found a discrepancy about Joe's birth year. According to the 1880 Greenville, Butler County census, he was age 6, thus born in 1874, but his tombstone says he was born in 1872. All of the censuses show his birth 1873 or later. His family moved from Butler to Covington County in the 1880's. Joseph married Mary Jane Hartley on July 4th, 1897. They had nine children: John, Dan, Lena, Lora, Gray, Buna, Fred, Houston, and Clara.

Papa Joe worked for the railroad in 1910, 1920, and 1930 (census) as a laborer and then Section Foreman; at some point, he worked for Horseshoe Lumber Company until it flooded and then he worked with a crew to re-build Point A Hydroelectric Dam. In the 1930s, he lived at Dunham Camp while working as a section foreman for the railroad division of W.T. Smith Lumber Co. In 1940, he lived near Georgiana. My mother told me that Oliver Taylor of Georgiana built the house for him.

Papa Joe died long before I was born, so I never met him. My mother, Joe's daughter-in-law, described Joe as "one of the best men who ever lived." My uncle, Herston Black, described him the same way.

My first cousin, Clifford Leroy "Tobe" Morris, and my mother both told me that Joe was a good craftsman. His hobbies were weaving garden baskets, making walking canes, and carving axe handles. He sold these at a store in Evergreen to earn extra money.

The cause of death given on his death certificate was cerebral hemorrhage. He suffered a stroke on Thursday, Jan. 4, 1940, after which he was unable to speak, and he died on Monday, Jan. 8, 1940.

I hope to meet him in Heaven one day.

Obit from the Butler County News:
DEATH OF MR. JOE MORRIS
Our community was made sad on January 8, 1940, by the death of Mr. Joe MORRIS. He was a good man, always trying to scatter sunshine for those around him. Surely a good husband and father has gone to a better home not made with hands.
He leaves to mourn his going a faithful wife, Mrs. Mary MORRIS and the following children: Mr. and Mrs. John MORRIS of Andalusia. Mr. and Mrs. Dan MORRIS and children of River Falls; Mr. and Mrs. Houston MORRIS and daughter of Evergreen; Mrs. Lena KNIGHT and children of Goshen; Mr. and Mrs. Fred MORRIS and children, Georgiana; Mr. and Mrs. Ed JOYNER and children, Georgiana; Mr. Gray MORRIS; Misses Lora and Clara MORRIS; and Mr. Leroy MORRIS, Georgiana.--Reporter.