Morton Family

Eva Alpha Morton was born on May 20, 1910 to James Washington Morton and Sarah Anderson Morton. She married Frank Privett in 1927 and they had eight children: William F. Privett Jr., James Herman Privett, Meriam Annette Privett, Mary Louise Privett, Joan Elizabeth Privett, Bessie Carol Privett, Geneva Frances Privett, and Linda Sue Privett. Eva Privett passed away in Salem, MO on April 19, 2005 and was survived by her eight children, 20 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren. She is buried at Corinth Cemetery.

James Washington Morton was born February 20, 1879 on Dry Fork, Dent County Missouri. He was the son of George Washington Morton and Mary Mariah Gearhart. At the age of two his parents moved to a farm in the Cage community (where Eva was born). He purchased that 240-acre farm from them in 1898. On August 25, 1897 James Morton was married to Sarah Elizabeth Anderson by Rev. Silas Compton. In 1923, the Mortons moved to St. Louis, MO and bought an 11-room rooming house (2123 Olive or 2321 Olive). James worked at Ford Motor Co. until 1929 before returning to the farm. In 1943 the Mortons lived in Kansas City for a short time while James worked at North American Aircraft Corp. (old Ford plant) during the WWII and then returned to the farm. Around 1949 they bought a store in Turtle, MO and eventually retired to a 40-acre farm in the Cage community. James Washington Morton passed away on September 20, 1960 while in the care of his daughter, Eva. He is buried in Corinth Cemetary.

James and Sarah Morton had eight children. The children and grandchildren are listed below:

  • Bessie Morton (died of tuberculosis in the '30s)
    • Donnie
    • Bonnie (Lorraine Schnarr)
    • Genevieve
  • Jeremiah Morton
    • Geraldine (Crain) (died of drug interaction problem)
    • Charles
    • Betty
    • Jack
    • Mary
    • Fred
  • George Morton
    • Paul Morton
    • Al Morton (adopted)
  • Lawrence Morton (two adopted children)
    • Donald Morton
    • Larry Morton
  • Herbert Morton
    • James Christian Morton
    • Bernice
    • Herbaline
  • Dorothy Morton
    • Janet
    • Judy Shelby (died in car accident)
    • Glenwood
    • Barbara
    • (another child)
  • Lillie Morton
    • Margie Snyder
    • Dorothy (oldest daughter)
    • Betty
    • Junior (oldest son)
    • Janet
    • Gene
  • Eva Privett (nee Morton)
    • William F. Privett Jr.
    • James Herman Privett
    • Meriam Annette Privett
    • Mary Louise Privett
    • Joan Elizabeth Privett
    • Bessie Carol Privett
    • Geneva Frances Privett
    • Linda Sue Privett

George Washington Morton (father of James Morton, grandfather of Eva Privett) was born September 26, 1854 in Tennessee. He was the son of David Morton and Sarah Cook. Around 1878 he married Mary Mariah Gearhart. He passed away September 26, 1918 in Bunker, MO and is buried in New Hope Cemetery. George and Mary had six children that survived to adulthood:

  • James Washington Morton (b. 2/1879)
  • William Morton (b. 3/1887 - committed suicide)
  • David Morton (b. 12/1882)
  • Charles Oliver Morton (b. 7/1888)
  • Ira Morton (b. 3/1891)
  • Sarah "Sadie" Morton (nee Culbertson) (b. 11/1892).

Ira Morton (grand uncle of Eva Privett) was born in 1891. Ira maried Mae Adams and they had three daughters: Doris, Pauline and Iris. Ira and his brother Oliver had a general store in Bourbon, MO in 1940. Ira and Mae retired to Florida and Ira passed away in 1977. Ira Morton's daughter Doris followed her father into merchant trade, operating three Rexall drug stores in Cuba, Bourbon and Sullivan, MO.

David Morton (Morten?) (great-grandfather of Eva Privett) was born around 1827 in Tennessee. In the 1880 census he lists his father as being from North Carolina and his mother from Tennessee. He married Sarah Cook and had seven (?) children: John Morton, David A. Morton, Louisa Morton Davis, Anna Morton, (Sintha E. Morton), Emily Morton, and George Washington Morton. The Mortons seem to have moved to Missouri around 1857 and are listed in the 1880 census living in Texas Township, Dent County, MO. David Morton passed away before 1900 as his widow (Sarah) is listed in the 1900 census living with her son, George Washington Morton.

Sarah Cook (great-grandmother of Eva Privett) was born around 1831 in Indiana and passed away sometime after 1900. In the 1880 census she listed her parents as coming from Tennessee. She married David Morton and is the mother of George Washington Morton.

1880?
Mary Mariah Morton, mother of James Morton

1908
James & Sarah Morton and family

1915?
Herbert & Dorothy Morton

1914
Eva & Jeremiah Morton?

1920?
"Left to Right, Bessie Morton, Dorothy Cleone age 4, Lillie May"

1923?
Bessie Morton & Family

1923?
Bessie Morton

1925?
George Morton

1925?
Lawrence Morton and 1st wife

1925?
Sarah Morton with Lillie's twins

1925?
Morton Brothers
(fr) Herbert & Lawrence,
(bk) Jeremiah & George

1927?
Eva (Morton) & Frank Privett

1927?
Jeremiah Morton

1930?
James & Sarah Morton

1930?
Dorothy & Lillie Morton

1931
James & Sarah Morton

1932
Lawrence & Violet Morton (1st wife)

1932?
Bessie Morton

1932?
George Morton

1934
Morton children & spouses

1934
Morton family

1934
James Morton & Sons

1934?
Donnie & Bonnie
(Bessie Morton's children)

1934?
James & Sarah Morton @ Bessie's grave

1934?
James & Sarah Morton with friends

1934?
Lillie Morton at work

1935
"Geo and Patsy Morton, taken 1935, Detroit Mich"

1939
"Helen, Geo (Morton), Wilma & Marlene July 23, 1939, Sunday"

1940
Lillie Morton & family

1940?
James & Sarah Morton with sister Delphia Morton

1943
"Helen (Morton), Betty & Marjorie Jan 1943"

1945?
The Morton store

1948
"Dorothy (Morton), Laurence, Mother & George at Turtle, 1948"

1949
Old Morton house

1950
Lillie Morton & family

1950
New Morton house

1950
James Morton, Bill Privett, and others

1947
James & Sarah Morton 50th anniversary

1947
James & Sarah Morton's 50th Anniversary

1953
"Betty, Grandpa, Grandma and Lillie; Dorothy Snyder Kinslow"

1953?
Lillie (Morton) Snyder family with James & Sarah Morton

1954
Joan Privett & Margie Snyder (Lillie Morton's Dauthter)

1954?
Morton sons with spouses

1955?
Margie Snyder (Lillie Morton's daughter) & husband Joe

1955
Morton house

1955
Morton house

1955
Morton house

1955
Sarah Morton

1955
Sarah Morton

1955?
Junior Snyder - (Lillie Morton's) oldest son)

1960
Herbert Morton with his aunts Scadie Culbertson (Morton) & Alpha Mooney (Anderson)

1957?
Morton house

1975?
Florence (Herbert Morton's wife), Dorothy & Eva (Morton)

1975?
Morton family

1980?
Jeremiah & Zelma Morton anniversary

1999
James & Sarah Morton gravesite