Merlene Morris

Georgie Merlene Johnson was born February 20, 1929, at Texon, Texas. Georgie Merlene was named after her maternal grandmother, Georgie Langford Satterwhite. The Merlene name was given because of a cousin, Pansy Merlene Langford.

Merlene’s father was working in the oil fields around the Texon Community. She was the second child born to Gardner Fred Johnson and Yuba Lillie Satterwhite. Gardner was the maiden name of Gardner’s mother, Mamie Gardner Johnson. Gardner’s Father was Isaac Newton Johnson. A family expression of “hold her Newt '' came from this name. Yuba’s parents were Georgie Langford Satterwhite and Earl Alexander Satterwhite. Georgie’s older sister was Freddie Glenn (Johnson) Pugh, born on December 15, 1927. Her younger brother was Gardner Dwain Johnson, born July 12, 1933.

The Johnson Family moved to the Ranger, Texas Community in the early 1930’s where Mr. Johnson farmed for an uncle, Jess Langford, and did blacksmith work on the side. The family moved to the oil fields in the Texas panhandle in 1934, living at LeFores, Texas. Merlene attended kindergarten through fourth grade at LeFores.

The family moved to Kellerville in the summer of 1940.

At Kellerville, Merlene attended the fifth through seventh grades. She skipped eighth grade due to the change in school structure when she switched to McLean schools for her freshman and sophomore years. While attending school in McLean, Merlene was active in choir, saxophone quartet, and band. In the summer of 1944, the family moved to Skellytown, Texas. Merlene graduated from White Deer High School in 1946. While attending White Deer for her junior and senior years, Merlene was active in basketball, a member of the honor society, FFA Sweetheart, football attendant, band and class officer in Senior year. She was voted the best all-around girl of the Senior Class. She then went on to attend West Texas State College at Canyon, Texas for a short time in the fall of 1946.

Georgie Merlene was married to Gilbert Forrest Morris, Jr. on November 30, 1946, in the Johnson family home at Skellytown. The couple honeymooned in Pampa, Texas and lived out the year of 1947 in Pampa, where Gilbert was employed with the Kiwanee Oil Company. The couple moved to the Big Bend area in December of 1947. They moved on to the family-owned farm (owned by Jim Clark and Gilbert Morris, Sr.) in February 1948, which was located nine miles West of Ralston, Oklahoma. Gilbert received government on-the-farm training that was an extension of the Veteran’s training program.

The couple’s first child, Gilbert Wayne Morris, was born August 17, 1949, at the Pawnee, Oklahoma Hospital. Their second child, Patricia Ann Morris, was born June 25, 1952, followed by their third child, Pamela Jo Morris, on September 26, 1955.

 Merlene assisted in all the farming chores as well as being a full-time homemaker. The couple were two of the seven charter members of the Big Bend Baptist Church, formed on August 5, 1951. The family then moved to the Ralston area in August of 1956.

Merlene worked as a bookkeeper at the Ralston Cotton Gin during the Ginning season from 1960 to 1968. She attended and graduated from the Ponca City Beauty School in 1971. She then operated a beauty shop out of her home from 1971 to 1973. She began work at the Ralston Post Office as a postal clerk in March of 1973 and was promoted to Postmaster on December 21, 1982. Merlene retired as Postmaster on October 2, 1992, working at the Ralston Post office for almost 20 years.

Enjoyments throughout the years were, sewing, which included making the children’s early clothing from chicken feed sacks on the farm, a common occurrence on rural farms in that day. Other enjoyments include attending the children’s and grandchildren’s basketball games throughout the years. Merlene became a member of the First Baptist Church of Ralston on August 29, 1956. She was very active in the life of the Church, teaching Sunday school, vacation bible school, and sponsoring various youth group events.

Merlene is preceded in death by her parents, husband Gilbert Morris, son Gilbert Wayne Morris, and sister, Freddie Pugh.

Left behind to carry on her legacy and cherish her memory are:  her brother, Dwain Johnson & Dottie, her daughters, Pamela Jo Felix and husband Red, Patricia Ann Chaffin and husband Bill, daughter-in-law, Sandy Morris.

Grandchildren:  Loy Morris and wife Casey, Scott Morris and wife Summer, April Chaffin, Jonathan Chaffin, David & Shannon Chaffin, Courtney Colclazier & husband Chad, Colby Felix & Comptonne.

Great grandchildren:  Renee Wright, Connor & Kia Chaffin, Chase & Georgia Morris, Tanner, Bryce, Brennann, and Avery Morris, and Cyle Colclazier.   Also, numerous nieces, nephews and friends.