Bartholomew County IN Archives Biographies.....Brown, Marion L. 1858 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 4, 2007, 2:22 pm

Author: B. F. Bowen (1904)

WILLIAM A. MORRIS.

   Bartholomew county figures as one of the most attractive, progressive and
prosperous divisions of the state of Indiana, justly claiming a high order of
citizenship and a spirit of enterprise which is certain to conserve development
and marked advancement in the material upbuilding of the section. The county has
been and is signally favored in the class of men who have controlled its affairs
in official capacity, and in this connection the subject of this review demands
representation as one who has served the county faithfully and well in positions
of distinct trust and responsibility. He is now acting as county auditor of
Bartholomew county.

   One of the native sons of this county, Mr. Morris was born on the 9th of
July, 1858, and is a son of John R. and Minerva (Robertson) Morris. The father
was a native of Pennsylvania and was of Pennsylvania Dutch lineage, while the
mother's birth occurred in Clark county, Indiana. She was there reared and both
Mr. and Mrs. Morris were successful teachers in the public schools prior to
their marriage. Becoming acquainted, their friendship ripened into love and they
were joined in wedlock in Clark county. Subsequently they came to Bartholomew
county as pioneer settlers and for a number of years resided in Clifty township,
where the subject of this review was born. People of superior intellectual
attainments and high moral worth, they left their impress for good upon the
community and gained for themselves many warm friends who accord to them a high
measure of respect.

   William A. Morris was the fourth in order of birth in a family of eight
children, five daughters and three sons, and of this number four are still
living, two brothers and two sisters. His boyhood and youth were passed in the
usual manner of farm lads of the period. He worked in the fields through the
summer and in the winter seasons attended the common schools, mastering the
branches of learning which formed the curriculum there. He was twenty-one years
of age when he left the farm and started out in life on his own account. He had
gained practical experience of farm work in all of its departments and his
knowledge he put to use upon his own place.

   In 1881 Mr. Morris was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Williams, a native
of Bartholomew county who spent her girlhood days here and acquired her
education in the common schools. Unto them were born four children, Bessie, Guy,
Harry and Maude, all of whom are now at home. The wife and mother died March 5,
1902, and her loss was deeply deplored by many warm friends as well as her
immediate family.

   At the time of his marriage Mr. Morris began farming on his own account upon
a tract of land belonging to his father. He is today the owner of one hundred
and forty-two acres of land in Clifty township, which he has placed under a high
state of cultivation and has also improved it with splendid buildings.
Everything about the place is neat and thrifty in appearance and indicates the
supervision of a careful and progressive owner. He has also been actively
engaged in shipping stock for the past fifteen years, making large purchases and
sales, on which he realizes a good income. It was in the year 1902 that Mr.
Morris was elected to his present position as auditor of Bartholomew county. In
his political affiliations he is a Republican and has ever kept well informed on
the issues and questions of the day, thus being able to support his position by
intelligent argument. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability,
nominated him for the position of auditor in 1902 and, being elected, he entered
upon the duties of the office on the 1st of January, following. In his work he
is methodical, systematic and accurate and is therefore proving a capable
official, over whose public career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion
of evil. His life has been an active, useful and honorable one. He and his
family are members of the Christian church and he has served as elder of the
Newbern church, with which he is identified. In political thought and action he
has always been independent, carrying out his honest views without fear or
favor. In business he has achieved success through consecutive effort, untiring
industry and capable management. He has ever been most loyal to the duties of
friendship and of citizenship and his history well deserves a place in the
annals of his native county.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY
INDIANA

INCLUDING BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF INDIANA

ILLUSTRATED

1904

B. F. Bowen PUBLISHER


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