Joseph M. Morris, 95, of McLeansboro, passed away at 6:05 a.m., May 20, 2022, at Lavender Ridge Memory Care in Mt. Vernon.
Mr. Morris was a farmer and area businessman.
He was born on February 24, 1927, in Hamilton County, a son of Joseph F. and Inez (Thompson) Morris. He was married to Mary Ann (Knight) Morris, who survives.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Harre Funeral Home in McLeansboro, with visitation prior to the service from 10 to 11.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Morris is survived by sister Sue Estes of Carbondale; step-daughter Sandra and David (deceased) Williams of Mims, Florida; step-son Bill and Becky Cherry of Queen Creek, Arizona; step-daughter Cindi and Marty Cox of Mt. Vernon; and step-son Bryan Knight of Jeffersonville, Indiana. He is also survived by grandchildren Jimmy, Shelly, Melissa, Jeremy, Wendy, Casey, Elizabeth, and Marc, as well as several great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Mr. Morris was a member of the First United Methodist Church in McLeansboro. He was also a part-owner of Hamilton County Lumber and Hamilton County Grain Corporation, both in McLeansboro. He was a 32nd Degree Mason, a member of Ahaza Shrine Club in East St. Louis, a member of the American Legion, VFW, and NRA.
Mr. Morris was an Army veteran, serving in the Korean War in Korea as a military policeman, earning a United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Ribbon with Bronze Service Star and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
Mr. Morris attended Southern Illinois University and taught at Sutton, a one-room school in Hamilton County, for two years before going into farming full-time with his older brother, Donald. Together, they purchased land in the Aden bottoms and began clearing the wooded area for farming in the mid-1950s. Mr. Morris, all the way up to his passing, had great passion and enjoyment in all phases of agriculture.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Morris was preceded in death by wife Syble (Cherry) Morris, brother Donald Morris, and sisters Ruby Hamilton and Annalee Hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church in McLeansboro, Shriners Hospitals for Children, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.