J.B. Morrison of Spur was named Outstanding Ex-Stdent 2002 during the Spur Homecoming assembly held October 19.
Mr. Morrison was born on a ranch southwest of Spur on October 17, 1921, within 1/2 mile of his current home. He attended a one-room school on the ranch until he was ready to attend high school. At that time, he transferred to Spur to complete his education. He graduated from Spur High School in May of 1939, but loved to play football so much that he enrolled in school again in the fall of ´39 for one semester just so he could play football one more year.
In January of 1940, he married his high school sweetheart and returned to the ranch. He became well known for developing one of the finest commercial cattle herds in West Texas.
Mr. Morrison had a vision for rural telephone service in this area. In 1950, he, Jim Barron, and Robert McAteer deemed it necessary to travel by airplane to Washington, D.C. in order to establish a rural telephone cooperative in Spur. Not having enough money for an airline ticket, Mr. Morrison had to go to the bank to borrow this money in order to fly to Washington so we could have a rural telephone cooperative here in spur. He served on the board of that rural telephone coop., CapRock Telephone Cooperative for 52 years and was president of that board for the past 12 years. That vision has grown from 300 subscribers to over 5,000 subscribers in 10 counties today.
Mr. Morrison was also on the Dickens/Kent Count Soil and Water Conservations District´s Board of Directors for 25 years, serving as secretary of that board for most of those years. He became recognized as an excellent steward of the soil.
A strong supporter of the youth in the community, he served on the Dickens County Stock Show Committee for many years.
Coming from a pioneer family, he had a great desire to preserve the history of this area, which led to his involvement in establishing the Margaret A. Elliott Museum, now the Spur/Dickens County Museum. As board president for 25 years, he provided leadership and direction for the museum, but also utilized his skills as the museum´s chief carpenter, electrician, plumber...you name it.
One of Mr. Morrison´s young cousins always referred to this man as "the good man". Those words may typify Mr. Morrison better than any...he is a good man.
©The Texas Spur, Thursday, November 7, 2002
Memorial services for J.B. Morrison, 81, of Spur will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, January 16, 2003 at First Baptist Church in Spur with the Rev. Richard Harbison and Rev. Larry Burton officiating. Private burial will be in Spur Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Campbell Funeral Home of Spur.
He died Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003, in Crosbyton.
Mr. Morrison was born Oct. 17, 1921, on the Morrison Ranch in Kent County to Jessie Blakemore and Maude Garner Morrison. He graduated from Spur High School in 1940. He married Doris Neaves on January 4, 1941, in Spur. He was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge. He was on the board of directors for Cap Rock Telephone for 50 years and served as chairman of the board for 20 of those. He had served on the board of directors and as chairman of the board at Spur Security Bank and served as a director for the Kent/Dickens County Soil and Water Conservation District. He was a member of the Dickens and Kent County Livestock Committee for many years. He was a rancher and a member of First Baptist Church.
He was preceded in death by three brothers and four sisters.
He is survived by his wife of Spur; one daughter, Linda Swenson of Spur; one sister, Florine Morgan of Amarillo; and three grandchildren, John Eric Swenson of San Antonio, Emery Swenson of Birmingham, Alabama and Kristen Cockrum of Bittburg, Germany.
The family suggests memorials to Dickens County EMS P.O. Box 277, Spur, Texas 79370.
©The Texas Spur, Thursday, January 16, 2003, page seven
Memorial services for Doris Morrison, 82, of Spur were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 8, 2003 at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Richard Harbison officiating. Private burial was in Spur Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Campbell Funeral Home of Spur.
She died Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003 in Spur.
She was born Feb. 25, 1920, in Fairly, Texas to Fred Neaves Sr. and Evvie Turner. She graduated from Spur High School in 1938. She married J.B. Morrison on Jan. 4, 1941, in Spur. They lived on the Morrison Ranch in Kent County. She was a member of the Eastern Star. She was also a member of the First Baptist Church of Spur. She was preceded in death by her husband, J.B. Morrison, four brothers and two sisters.
She is survived by one daughter, Linda Swenson of Spur; two sisters, Mildred Simpson of Lubbock and Elaine Ballard of Rochester, Texas; and three grandchildren, John Eric Swenson of Birmingham, Alabama and Kristen Cockrum of Bittburg, Germany.
The family suggests memorials to Dickens County EMS, P.O. Box 277, Spur, TX 79370.
©The Texas Spur, Thursday, February 13, 2003, page 8 section two
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