Fred Ellis Morrison was born September 29, 1870 near Cathage, Ill., and passed away at his home in Lone Tree, November 8, 1941, at the age of 71 years, one month and nine days. He was the son of June B. and Anna McCoy Morrison, and at the age of three years he moved with them to a farm near Columbus Junction, Ia. In 1874 they moved to the Shaw neighborhood. January 21, 1892, he married Della Siverly of Lone Tree, at her home, and they began housekeeping on a farm east of Lone Tree. In March 1902, they bought the Morrison farm south of town where they lived for 37 years before moving to Lone Tree in May, 1935.
He is survived by his wife and had he lived until January they would have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Also surviving are eight children, five daughters, Frata Morrison Eden of Bonaparte, Dorothy Morrison Noble of Spokane, Wash., Beulah Morrison Fabrick of Esterville, Esther Morrison Cline and Ruth Morrison Petsel of Lone Tree; three sons Ralph, Warren and Gordon, of Lone Tree. One son, Victor, preceded him in death, April 11, 1916, at the age of nine months.
Sixteen grandchildren also survive, Helen Eden Latta of Iowa City, Gertrude Eden Swanson of Lone Tree, Mildred Eden Wilson of Denmark, Ia., Ralph, Vera, Ruth, Fred and George Eden of Bonaparte, Evelyn and Gerald Cline, of Lone Tree, Della Margaret and Jack Morrison of Oak Lawn, Ill., Jane Noble of Spokane, Wash., Patricia and Donna May Fabrick of Estherville, Myrna Martha Morrison of Lone Tree; and one great grandchild, Evelyn Jean Latta of Iowa City.
Few men in the community will be missed by a larger circle of friends than Fred Morrison. Through his activities as farmer, and since 1906 as an auctioneer, he was widely known in this and surrounding neighborhoods. He knew and loved everyone, and was everybody's friend. Perhaps no single sentence could better sum up the feeling of those who knew him than the chance remark made about him by one of his granddaughters, "No one could ever put down how wonderful he really was."