Morris, Carol Bethany

Carol Bethany Morris died Sept. 13, 2013, at home in Alamo, Texas after an arduous eight months following a fall in January.

Carol was born Aug. 24, 1928, in Cedar County, Iowa to Thomas and Nellie (Smith) Garton. She had one brother, Darrell, Morley.

She graduated from Stanwood Consolidated School and was married to the late Louis Vacek, Oxford Junction. They had one daughter, Rebecca Orthner, Mount Vernon. In 1988, she married John R. “Bob” Morris, Savanna, Ill.

She worked many years as an administrative secretary, first at the Oxford Junction school and later as secretary to the dean of Cornell College, Mount Vernon, and the director of the Jo Daviess-Carroll Area Vocational Center, Elizabeth, Ill., where she lived for nine years. She concluded her working career at the U.S. Army Defense Ammunition Center and School, Savanna, Ill., retiring in 1990. She attempted, during all her years of employment, to increase the status of women employees, especially improving the opportunities of clerical employees to be provided with training that might result in career advancement.

In 1998, she moved to Hartshorne, Okla., where she lived for five years until her husband retired. Upon return to Savanna, they restored a 160-year-old home, where they spent their summers until 2013, spending winters in Alamo, Texas.

She was a well known and avid gardener concentrating on an extended Hosta collection in later years.

She was an accomplished musician, furnishing organ or piano music for many church and community activities in the Stanwood and Oxford Junction areas, as well as Elizabeth and Savanna, Ill. She gave piano lessons while living in Elizabeth, Ill., and sang for a time with the Galena Choral Society.

While living in Oxford Junction, she taught Sunday school at the Methodist Church and was a 4-H leader for five years.

She served on the original board of directors during the establishment of the Main Street Program in Savanna and was especially interested in working toward getting downtown Savanna placed on the Register of Historic Places. She was a past president of the Savanna Women's Club and a former member of PEO and Savanna Reading Club.

She was a great animal lover and supporter of the Heartland Pet Welfare Center, Savanna, Ill. As such, it is requested that any desired memorials be furnished to the Heartland Pet Welfare Center or a favorite Humane Society.

She is survived by her husband, Bob Morris; daughter, Rebecca Orthner (Neil), Mount Vernon; grandson, Rory Pruess (Chris), Bennington, Neb.; great-grandchildren, Liam and Kate Pruess of Omaha; and brother, Darrell Garton, Morley.

There will be no visitation or memorial services.

Published Sept. 15, 2013 in The Gazette