Kernan D. Morris

Kernan Dale Morris, mostly known as Papo or K.D., was a longtime resident of Okmulgee County. He was born December 3, 1921 in Cherokee County, Oklahoma to William Andrew Morris and Nellea Josephine Morrison. He was the 3rd great grandson of Chief Yonaguska of the Eastern Cherokee Nation. He is the third child of 6 brothers and sisters. K.D. traded in a milk cow and a calf for an unbroken horse at the age of 17, broke the horse and went to college at Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, Oklahoma where he graduated in 1943. When World War II broke out, he sold his horse ‘Patsy’ and joined the United States Navy and trained under the newly developed Radar System that the Navy had deployed. He served aboard the newly built DD728, the USS Mansfield. At the beginning, he fought against the German forces in the Atlantic and then was transferred to the Pacific under Admiral Halsey, later Admiral Clark. Although several sister ships of the USS Mansfield were sunk during the battle at Luzon, she survived to see action at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and a daring night time torpedo raid into Saigon Harbor, Japan. The Okinawa attack was also very deadly to the US Navy with 34 ships sunk and 368 ships damaged, but the USS Mansfield survived and later saw action in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. After World War II ended, K.D. left the US Navy and returned to Oklahoma. (He traded in the ship for a wife), married Carolyn Glennis Bean on August 12, 1947 and they moved to Okmulgee County. Because of his education in College and technical training with the US Navy, he helped bring Television to Eastern Oklahoma. He worked with Brownies Radio, Radio Clinic, Nelson’s, and Reynolds’s. He installed thousands of TV antennas on homes and businesses from Weleetka, Okemah, Muskogee, Checotah, Okmulgee and points in-between from 1950 to 1965. At first, there were only 2 channels, Channel 2 and Channel 6. Soon, Channel 8 in Muskogee was added, later, with politics, Channel 8 moved to Tulsa, giving eastern Oklahoma a whopping 3 TV stations to choose from. Some of those old antennas are still standing today. In August 1949, he began work for the United States Postal Service and started his career at the Okmulgee Post Office. From working in sorting the mail, to city mail delivery throughout the town of Okmulgee, to front window clerk, to rural carrier in the county. Later, he transferred to the Morris Post Office. In 1984, he retired from the Postal Service after 36 years. He joined the Masonic Lodge in 1943 and served over 60 years. He became a member of the Morris United Methodist Church in 1951 and has remained a member ever since. In 1966, he joined the Morris Lions Club and served 50 years. He also served on the Oklahoma School Board of Education from 1982 to 1987. He was preceded in death by his parents, William on March 13, 1978 and Nellea on September 11, 1979, sister Lillian Nauhilla Morris on May 25, 1929, brother Hubert F. Morris on September 13, 2006, sister Dreamah Flossie Morris Bennett on November 29, 1988 and sister Billie Leu Morris Grimm on December 30, 2003. Survivors include his brother Byron Leslie Morris and wife Alma of Wichita, Kansas, wife of 64 years Carolyn Glennis Morris of the home, daughter Bobbie D. Dill and husband Mike of Morris, Oklahoma, son Chuck L. Morris of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, granddaughter Angela Ryals and husband Ron of Schulter, Oklahoma, grandson Dennis Nunley and wife Shanna of Morris, Oklahoma. He is also survived by 7 great-grandchildren Braley, Janae, Jacee, Wyatt, Jaelyn, Jabree and Jayanna, nieces, nephews and numerous other relatives. Our chosen extended family Dale and Billie Brannon, Rae Ann Brannon ‘Warner’ and family, Doctor Dale Brannon and family. Visitation will be 1 to 6 pm Sunday, April 22nd at Shurden-Jackson Funeral Home in Okmulgee. Service will be held at 11 am Monday, April 23, 2012 at the First United Methodist Church in Morris, Oklahoma with Reverend Crystal Hughes and Reverend Gary Wilburn officiating. Burial will be at the Morris Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Abe Davis, Tim Davis, Bob Furer, Curtis Sharp, Tim Stuart, and Donnie Vaughn. Honorary Pallbearers will be Earl Hadley, Carl King, Roy King, Jim Mudd, David Porter, Dave Reynolds, and Raymond ‘Bo’ Toothaker.