Tom Morris

On Sunday, October 20, 2019, Tom C “Ike” Morris, passed away at home in San Antonio at the age of 109. Tom C “Ike” Morris was born August 1, 1910, in Hamlin, Texas, the youngest of six children born to Etta Padget and Willie Carr Morris. After graduation from high school in Waxahachie, Texas, Tom attended Texas A&M University where he was president of the 1933 senior class, yearbook advertising manager, and chairman of the Ring Committee. Upon graduation, Morris returned to Forreston where he married his childhood sweetheart, Margaret Calvin Morris, who was to be his wife for 76 years. Morris worked as principal and coach for Forreston High School and then for the US Department of Agriculture until the start of World War II.

1st Lt. Morris was ordered to active duty for one year and assigned to the 38th Infantry Regiment - 2nd Infantry Division. After the attack on Pearl Harbor his orders changed to “You are hereby ordered for active duty for the duration”. On the afternoon of D + 1, he and his men waded ashore at Omaha Beach. The next day their assignment was to take Trevieres which was secured before nightfall. The capture of Trevieres was the first town of any size to fall to the Americans and was met with heavy enemy resistance. During his service, Morris and his men took part in operations in Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, the Battle of the Bulge, and Central Europe. Lt. Col. Morris was officially separated from active duty in 1946. He had served 337 combat days, 320 days in contact with the enemy.  Morris was promoted to Colonel in 1955 and retired from the Army Reserve after 30 years of service.

After discharge from active duty, Morris returned to the family home in Waxahachie with his wife Margaret Calvin Morris and their son Thomas M. Morris. He returned to civilian life as co-owner of Waxahachie Frozen Foods and raised Black Angus cattle, he was elected to the Waxahachie School Board tor two terms and served as its president before retiring from federal civil service work.

Tom was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret. He is survived by his son, Thomas M. Morris and his wife Lucy Jim Morris, his granddaughters Marsha Clint Morris and Jane Morris Weeden and her husband Joe Weeden, his great-grandson Joshua Morris Weeden, a record number of extended family and devoted friends.

Visitation will be held Tuesday night and funeral services will be held on Wednesday morning, October 23rd, 2019 at the Wayne Boze Funeral Home 1826 W Hwy 287, Waxahachie, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be send to Ellis County Veterans Ceremony; PO Box 834, Waxahachie, TX 75168 or Association of Former Students of Texas A&M, Tom C “Ike” Morris Memorial, 505 George Bush Dr, College Station, TX 77840.