Florence Morton

Morton family matriarch, Florence Puckett Morton, died at home in San Antonio, Texas on October 29th, 2010 at age 95. Born in Fayette, Missouri on March 9th, 1915, Florence and her sisters grew up in an academic family. She attended Central Methodist College in Fayette, where her father, E.P. Puckett, served as Dean. She graduated with a B.A. degree in 1937. For the next six years she attended graduate study at Northwestern University and the University of Missouri and taught high school English, Literature, Speech and Drama in Brunswick, Missouri.

The events of WW II accelerated a long courtship with her college sweetheart, Berry Morton. They married on August 15th, 1943. Following the war, the couple raised five children in Terre Haute, Indiana where Dr. Morton was on faculty at Indiana State University. From 1971 to 1974, Florence taught English in Thailand and Viet Nam while accompanying her husband, who was then serving in the State Department. The couple returned to the U.S. in 1975 and lived in Washington, D.C. for two years before retiring to their farm north of Terre Haute.

Together Florence and Berry raised horses and hosted family gatherings at their spacious antebellum home for the next three decades. As her children and family grew, she assumed the title of Grandmother and eventually Great Grandmother.

In 2004, she and Berry, both in their late 80's, moved to San Antonio due to her husband's failing health. Closer to family, they spent their remaining years together until Berry passed away in 2009.

Throughout her life she was active in the Philanthropic Educational Organization P.E.O. and many community educational and philanthropic activities. She was vibrant and current in social and political affairs and was never reticent to offer opinion or advice to her large devoted family. She was bright, courageous, engaging, and could enter a room of strangers and exit a room of friends.

A teacher and a storyteller, Florence brightened the lives of many. Well educated and well traveled, she never was at a loss for a story to tell. Her prized piece of jewelry was a necklace that had a figure for each of her five children and their spouses, seventeen grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Thirty-six figures in total comprise her legacy.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2010

10:45 A.M.

FORT SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

1520 HARRY WURZBACH