Myrtle Morris

Myrtle Marie Morris, 89, of Richland Center, went peacefully in the early morning hours on Saturday, June 10th, 2023, to be with her Lord and Savior. She was the first born of six children to Hazel Idolene (Dray) Sneath and Lawrence Sneath. She entered the world on the July 24, 1933. Myrt grew up on the farm and helped as much as possible. She loved animals and was not afraid of hard work. She eventually went to Normal College and obtained her teaching degree, working in a one room schoolhouse. From there she married Theodore Draves and they had one surviving daughter, Staria Jean, and three babies that passed away at birth. Myrt honored these babies by putting flowers on their graves every year. In 1968, Ted passed away from cancer. Myrt eventually remarried Lyle Morris and had two more children, Shawn Marie and Leslie Chad. Eventually they divorced but she loved all her children and raised them based on the Bible's teaching or as her kids would say, strict.
She held several jobs over the course of 89 years. Teacher, waitress, restaurant owner, O'Brien's seamstress, Allen Bradley, General Motors assembly, Head Start teacher, and Badger Ammunition plant worker. She then returned to school and obtained her Associates Degree in culinary arts, working once again in a restaurant. However, she seemed to really fit when she found school bus driving for the local school system. She enjoyed the young kids, and they liked her based on the gifts they would bring for her. Now as adults, they still remember her.
Myrt was many things to many people. A teacher, mother, daughter, sister, friend, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, aunty, grandmother (great and great-great), and a helper of the poor and forgotten. She organized one of the first community Thanksgiving meals, serving the less fortunate in town. She loved to cook, and this was her way of giving back. She had lots of favorite activities including dancing, crocheting, knitting, coloring, watching her soap operas (don't call her while she was watching those), Gunsmoke and old westerns, and WWF wrestling. She got the love for wrestling from her momma and they were hardcore followers. Myrt loved music too, listening to the oldies on the local radio station. She even sang in a female barbershop quartet for a while. Myrt did a little traveling, making it all the way to Guatemala on a mission trip. She did a lot of cooking for the others in her group while she was there as the higher altitudes didn't agree with her but she liked helping where ever she was needed. Being able to spread the word of God and cook, she really enjoyed it. While she disliked the hot weather, she loved mowing her lawn and how it looked when she was all done and watching the birds from her windows. We are sure completing those crossword puzzles kept her memory intact and her wit as sharp as a tack. She would be talking with you or telling stories and completing crossword puzzles lickety-split. Myrt was a blood donor for at least 50 years until she was no longer able and she was very proud of this accomplishment. She always loved the farm and the horses, getting up at the crack of dawn to get a good parking spot at the Viola Horse & Colt Show and she went to the June Dairy Breakfast for as many years as we can remember. Her family also brought her great joy, whether it was family reunions, inviting them out for dinner, celebrating birthdays, sitting around the campfire, or just visiting and chatting for a while.
Myrt was preceded in death by both of her parents and all five of her siblings, Lamont Sneath, Larry Sneath, Marvalene Rowlett, Marlene Parish, and Marcia Felton.
Myrt is survived by her three children: Staria (Don) Couey of Richland Center, WI, Shawn (Tim) Feiring of Berkeley Springs, WV, and Chad (Amber) Morris of Richland Center, WI; seven grandchildren: Sarah Hunt, Jon Hunt, Elizabeth Hunt, Holden Morris, Tory Phillips, Kristen Halink, and Kaylynn Morris; seven great-grandchildren Leah Hunt, TJ Sage, Hugh and Jack Noble, Hannah and Lauren Loether, and Valentino Hunt-Gonzalez. The newest arrival was a great-great grandbaby Oria Peters. Myrt found a lot of happiness with her grandkids and really enjoyed seeing them. Myrt has numerous nieces, nephews, and other extended family members as well, with one nephew she gained through marriage that helped to take care of her the past few years.
Thank you, Troy Hach. We also want to thank Agrace and the wonderful caring staff. The kindness our mom and the family were shown did not go unnoticed and we are grateful to all of you. You helped her be able to stay in her home when she passed, which brought her comfort, and it gave all of us peace.
Eighty-nine years and 11 months is a lifetime full of memories and experiences, it is impossible to cover in a few sentences and we hope this does her justice. Her family will miss her but we will see her again someday, lots of love to you mom!
A Celebration of Life Luncheon will be held on Sunday, July 23, 2023, at the Pratt Community Hall from 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. The Pratt Funeral and Cremation Service is assisting the family with their arrangements.