William A. Morris1,2,3

Family Chart
ID# 14919, (1868 - 1939)
FatherAnthony Markiewicz2
MotherJustina Stulgys2

Key Events:

Birth: 10 Jan 1868, Lithuania4,5,6,7
Marriage: 3 Mar 1890, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Margaret Jennie Reigle (Nov 1871 - 9 May 1923)8,9,10
Death: 14 Oct 1939, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California2
Burial: 17 Oct 1939, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles Co., California11,12
ChartsDescendants of Jacob K. and Christiana Ohl Riegel

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     
William & Margaret Reigle Morris
courtesy Larry McWilliams
William A. Morris was born on 10 Jan 1868 in Lithuania.4,5,6,7
     According to family lore, William ran away from his family and emigrated to avoid becoming a priest. In his petition for naturalization he stated he arrived in Philadelphia on 1 Aug 1882. But he does not appear on the list of passengers for the only ship to arrive there that day, the S. S. British Queen. Recording of ages and spelling of names on passenger lists is notoriously inaccurate, but no one with similar name and close in age has been found on any list from near this arrival date.13,14,15
     William filed his petition for citizenship before the Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, on 6 Sep 1888, which was granted by the court in that term.16,17,18
     His surname was Markiewicz before he immigrated, and he changed it to Morris after he was naturalized. According to family lore he did so at the insistence of his wife, Margaret. However, if that's true, he apparently made the change before they were married, because the newspaper listings of their marriage show his surname as Morris.16,19
     William married Margaret Jennie Reigle, daughter of John Jacob Reigle and Olive Rogers, on 3 Mar 1890 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Rev. R. B. Webster, pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, officiating. She obtained the consent of her father since she was a minor.8,9,10
     William and Margaret appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Trucksville, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, enumerated 16 Jun 1900, reporting that they were renting their home. Their children Edgar, William, LeRoy and Leslie were listed as living with them, as was Hannah Harrison, a 63-year old servant.20
     William and Margaret appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Luzerne, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, at 428 Walnut St., enumerated 18 Apr 1910, reporting that they were renting their home. Their children LeRoy, Leslie, Francis and Dorothy were listed as living with them.21
     About 1911 William and Margaret with their children Leslie and Francis moved to Iowa, where their eldest son Edgar was living, and where her aunt Sarah and her family had been living for over two decades.22,23,24,25,26 It appears they then lived in Ohio for a time before moving back to Iowa, as their youngest daughter was born there in Richland Co. in May 1913, and their second youngest, Dorothy, died there in November of that year.
     William and Margaret appeared on the 1915 State Census of Shenandoah, Page Co., Iowa, reporting that they rented their home. This census does not identify households, but it appears that their children Leslie, Francis and Margaret were living with them since they appear on sequentially numbered cards. William reported that he was affiliated with the Catholic Church, while other members reported no church affiliation. Their children Leslie, Francis and Margaret were listed as living with them.3,27,28,29,30
     William and Margaret moved to Missouri before 1920. They appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., Missouri, at 1308 South 29th St., enumerated 6 Jan 1920, reporting that they were renting their home. Their daughter Margaret was listed as living with them.31
     William and Margaret apparently moved to Montana with their youngest daughter, Margaret, shortly after that, as Margaret died there in Big Horn Co. in 1923.
     His wife died on 9 May 1923 in Hardin, Big Horn Co., Montana.32,33
     William and and his daughter moved to California after her death. William appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California, in the household of his son William and his wife Martha.34
     He was a manager of a farm in 1900, and a laborer in a mine by 1910. In 1915 he reported he was a day laborer, and had earned $500 the prior year. By 1920, in St. Joseph, he was a policeman for a packing house.35,36,37,38,39
     William died on 14 Oct 1939 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California, at age 71.2 He was cremated and his remains were interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles Co., California, on 17 Oct 1939.11,12

Children:
     Children with Margaret Jennie Reigle

William and Margaret had another child, who was born and died between 1900 and 1910, whose name is unknown.50,51,52

Citations

  1. [S5113] William A. Morris and Maggie A. Reigel, Marriage License.
  2. [S5271] William A. Morris, Certificate of Death.
  3. [S5040] William A. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1.
  4. [S5271] William A. Morris, Certificate of Death, shows date, as 10 Jan 1886, and country, as Poland.
  5. [S5031] William Morris household, 1900 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows month, as Dec, year, as 1867, age 32, and country, as Poland.
  6. [S5034] William J. Morris household, 1930 U.S. Census, Los Angeles Co., California, shows age 62 and country, as Lithuania.
  7. [S5440] William A. Markiewicz, Petition (6 Sep 1888), shows him as a native of Poland.
  8. [S5113] William A. Morris and Maggie A. Reigel, Marriage License, shows she had the consent of John J. Reigel.
  9. [S5031] William Morris household, 1900 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows married 12 years.
  10. [S698] Luzerne County PAGenWeb Page, online, "Wilkes Barre Record Extracts for March 1890," an extract of newspaper, by Ed Langley, shows from the Mar 1 1890 edition under "Sunday Services" that Rev. Webster was pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian Church.
  11. [S5271] William A. Morris, Certificate of Death, shows date.
  12. [S5113] William A. Morris and Maggie A. Reigel, Marriage License, citing deed for niche 12352, shows cemetery.
  13. [S5440] William A. Markiewicz, Petition (6 Sep 1888), shows city, and date, as 1 Aug 1882.
  14. [S5031] William Morris household, 1900 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows year, as 1881, and in U.S. 19 years.
  15. [S5032] William A. Morris household, 1910 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows year, as 1885.
  16. [S5440] William A. Markiewicz, Petition (6 Sep 1888).
  17. [S5441] William A. Markiewicz, Certificate of Citizenship (__ Sep 1888).
  18. [S5031] William Morris household, 1900 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows naturalized.
  19. [S693] McWilliams, "Descendants of Jacob Reigle", recounts stories by his mother, Margaret H. McWilliams, that her mother had insisted on the change "because she didn't like the name of Markiewicz." Also notes Wilkes-Barre Evening Leader, 3 Mar 1890, under "Marriage Licenses Granted" shows his name as W A Morris, and same date, under "Marriages" shows his name as Wm. A Morris.
  20. [S5031] William Morris household, 1900 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania.
  21. [S5032] William A. Morris household, 1910 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania.
  22. [S5040] William A. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1, shows he had lived in Iowa 4 years.
  23. [S5041] Margaret J. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1, shows she had lived in Iowa 4 years.
  24. [S5042] Leslie O. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1, shows he had lived in Iowa 4 years.
  25. [S5043] Francis A. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1, shows she had lived in Iowa 4 years.
  26. [S5044] Margaret H. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1, shows she had lived in Iowa 2 months.
  27. [S5041] Margaret J. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1.
  28. [S5042] Leslie O. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1.
  29. [S5043] Francis A. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1.
  30. [S5044] Margaret H. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1.
  31. [S5033] William A. Morris household, 1920 U.S. Census, Buchanan Co., Missouri.
  32. [S5270] Margaret Jennie Morris, Certificate of Death, shows date, town, and county.
  33. [S1266] "Montana Death Index, 1907-2002," Ancestry.com, record for Margaret J Morris, shows date and county.
  34. [S5034] William J. Morris household, 1930 U.S. Census, Los Angeles Co., California.
  35. [S5031] William Morris household, 1900 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows occupation as manager - farm.
  36. [S5032] William A. Morris household, 1910 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows occupation as laborer, industry as mines.
  37. [S5033] William A. Morris household, 1920 U.S. Census, Buchanan Co., Missouri, shows occupation as policeman, industry as packing house.
  38. [S5040] William A. Morris card, 1915 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah ward 1, shows occupation as day laborer and earnings.
  39. [S5271] William A. Morris, Certificate of Death, shows occupation as laborer.
  40. [S5450] Ed Morris household, 1925 Iowa State Census, Page Co., Iowa, Shenandoah.
  41. [S5521] Edgar L. Morris obituary, unknown newspaper.
  42. [S698] Luzerne County PAGenWeb Page, online, "1893 Wilkes Barre Record deaths," an extract of deaths listed in the Wilkes Barre Record by Nancy Cook, entry for Stanley Morris citing 3 Feb 1893 issue.
  43. [S5529] William Joseph Morris, Certificate of Death.
  44. [S5539] LeRoy Morris and Zenie Daugherty, Marriage Record.
  45. [S5530] Leroy Morris, Certificate of Death.
  46. [S5272] Leslie Odos Morris and Verna May Elliott, Application for Marriage License, Dauphin County.
  47. [S5601] Frances Anna Smith, Standard Certificate of Death.
  48. [S5663] Dorothy Elizabeth Morris, Certificate of Death.
  49. [S5658] Margaret Morris, Certificate of Birth.
  50. [S5031] William Morris household, 1900 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows her as mother of 5 children, with 4 living. Edgar, Stanley, William, Leroy, and Lester are their known children up to 1900, with Stanley known to have died in 1893 and the others all appearing in this census.
  51. [S5032] William A. Morris household, 1910 U.S. Census, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, shows her as mother of 8 children, with 6 living. Edgar, Stanley, William, Leroy, Lester, Francis, and Dorothy are their known children up to 1910, with Stanly known to have died in 1893 and the last four appearing in this census and the others with known death dates after 1910.
  52. [S5658] Margaret Morris, Certificate of Birth, shows Margaret as the mother of 9, with 7 living.