Robert Morris, Class of 1964, has a zillion copycat names in Marion
County alone.
A Robert Morris, as I’ve posted before, saved my life when I was
a teenager swimming in the Fairmont Field Club pool that was being drained and
cleaned. It was legal. The Club let the caddies swim in the filthy water.
I was going down for the third time, because the water was so
low that I couldn’t reach the edge of the pool, when this Robert Morris grabbed
me and kept me alive to be 89 years old. He died a year later.
Shockey Mayle did the same favor to Robert Morris, Class of
1964, when they were in elementary school. Saved him from drowning. Shockey
passed away in 2018.
As for the proliferation of Robert Morrises in Marion County
alone, let Class of 1964 Robert Morris explain:
“John, I went to college with 2 other Robert Morrises in
my class. I went for an MRI several years ago & when I asked for my
results, the lady I was speaking with asked me which Robert Morris are you and
I said, I'm the original & she replied I have MRI'S from 7 Robert Morrises
& I replied I'M Robert L. and she said I have 3 Robert L. Morris's.
“So, My name must be pretty common. “
Indeed.
That might have been in 2007 when Bob battled a foot
infection that lasted 40 days, as he
reported in commenting on Linda Dorene Pyles Wright, Class of 1974, getting an
infection after her knee replacement surgery.
John Olesky is common in America and Poland, including at
one time a Polish Cabinet minister.
In my family alone I am King John II, my father John W.
Olesky Sr. was King John I, my son is King John III, his son is King John IV
and his son is King John V.
When people find a name they like they use the
hell out of it.
Robert Morris, who lives in Idamay with wife Paulette, for
example, is a son of the late Gene Douglas Morris,
Class of 1948, a starting tackle on the 1947 Monongah High football team who
also played basketball for the Lions. Gene lived in Enterprise.
This Robert Morris’ brother, Paul Maxie Morris,
passed away in 2018. His widow is Zelda Morris, Class of 1964 Robert Morris’
sister.
Robert and Paul’s parents were Earle Morris and
Josephine Hunt Morris. Besides Zelda, other siblings were Gene Morris, who
married Mary Jo Heldreth Morris and lived near Whitecottons Store in Bingamon
Junction; Jeffrey Wayne Morris, who married Ester; Ruth Morris Kenner, Kathleen
Morris Rumer and Leatrice Morris.
I asked Class of 1964 Robert Morris if the
Robert Morris who saved me from drowning is related to him.
My drowning savior was Bob Morris,
son of Marvin and Lillian Scott Morris, and brother of Marvin Morris,
Jr., Class of 1939, and Lois Jean Morris Hamrick.
Class of 1964’s Robert Morris’ reply:
“I
don't think that we would be related. My dad was originally from Parkersburg,
and my mother was from Prestonburg, Kentucky.
“Ironic,
though, we would have been saved from
drowning, you by Robert Morris and me by
Shockey Mayle.
“Shockey
would make a great story for you since he was a 1964 class grad from Monongah
High School. Shockey was a fantastic
athlete who excelled at Monongah and Fairmont State College.
“After
college, he went on to fight in the VietNnm War. He was a highly decorated
veteran who won 2 Bronze Stars in battle.
“Shockey,
Tom Hulderman & Nick "Brother" Saban certainly were the three
greatest athletes to have come from Monongah High School.”
If
you throw in Kerry Marbury, Class of 1964 Bob Morris, then I would agree with
you. And maybe Big Jim Lipinski from the 1940s Monongah High teams that were so
good they had to go to adjoining states to find schools willing to risk a
beating by playing the Lions.
Shockey,
Class of 1964, passed away in 2018. His widow is Brenda Mayle.
Shockey’s parents are Paul Mayle and the Veldine Mayle Mayle. His first wife was Linda
Hettrick of Hubbard, Ohio. Shockey’s children are Jude and Tara. He
also has 3 stepdaughters.
Shockey and his brother, Texan Dewayne
"Sonny" Mayle, are buried in the West Virginia National Cemetery in
Grafton.
Shockey
was a starter on defense for the 1963 Monongah High football team
that came within 12 points of going undefeated and was one of the
captains for the 1963-64 Lions basketball team.
He
attended the 2014 Monongah High Alumni Reunion in Fairmont and the Four
States #20 mine survivors reunion.
Veldine passed away in 2001 in her Carolina home after 61
years of marriage to Paul.
There’s a Carl Morris, Class of 1966, brother of the late
Betty Morris Gorbey.
Caleb Morris, on the 2015 Monongah Lions A-Ball
championship team, is Chris Morris’ son and Barb Morris’
grandson.
Charity Morris, daughter of Danny Morris, Class of 1947, is
related to Joanna Hewitt Ross, Tom Hewitt’s daughter who married Mike Ross, and
Elaine Hewitt Monell, Class of 1949, who married Raymond “Soak” Monell, Class
of 1945, through Sallie Ann Edwards, who came to America from Wales.
Sallie Ann was the half-sister of Danny’s mother, Katherine Grace Morris. Her
parents were Margaret Elizabeth Jones Edwards and Edward Edwards. Thomas Hewitt
was Sallie Ann’s son.
Maybe they should just have a Robert Morris reunion . . . if
they can find a park large enough to hold them all.
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