Barbara Jean (Sutton) Morris, 80, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2024, in McCook.
Barbara was born September 19, 1943, to Ruth A. and Ellis L Sutton in Stratton, Nebraska. She grew up on a farm north of Stratton and attended a one-room country school through fifth grade. Music was her love and she excelled in band, holding first chair in the brass section, with trumpet, three out of four years in high school and sang in the choir. She graduated in 1961 and attended one year at McCook Junior College.
On December 2, 1961, she was united in marriage to Craig Long of Bird City, Kansas. To this union two children, Debra Jean and Rodney Craig, were born. Other than five years in Colorado, she lived 75 of her 80 years within an hour radius of McCook. While in McCook, she worked at Community Hospital.
In the summer of 1980, she met Gene Morris. They were united in marriage on March 20, 1981. They purchased the Benkelman Post and moved to Benkelman to operate the business until 1990 when they returned to McCook. Barbara worked at Hillcrest and returned to college where she graduated in 2000 and she also obtained her Medical Records Credentials from the American Health Information Management Association.
After retiring from Hillcrest, she served as Director of the CASA Program for two years and then retired permanently.
Even though she always worked outside the home, she and Gene always found time for golf. She was crazy about the game and was pretty good at it. She even got a hole-in- one in Benkelman and she loved reminding Gene that he hadn’t gotten one. Things changed considerably when Gene got not one, but two hole-in-ones.
To mourn her passing, she leaves her daughter, Debra (Tilman) Jean Adair of Littleton, Colorado; son, Rodney Craig Long of Glenwood Springs, Colorado; and granddaughter, Gracelyn Jeannie of Littleton, Colorado.
She also leaves her “Bonus” family; Marita Morris of Fort Worth, Texas, Andrew “Dru” Whetstone of Boulder, Colorado, Michelle Whetstone of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Christa Whetstone of Fort Worth, Texas, Ethan Whetstone of Norman, Oklahoma, Zylus Johnson of Fort Worth, Texas, Michelle (Morris) Spieker, husband Tom, and Ella and Kai Spieker of Dana Point, California, John Parker Adair, wife Meghan and Vincent Walter Adair of Omaha, Nebraska.
Services for Barbara will be May 28, 2024 at the McCook Christian Church at 10:30 AM with Pastor Kyle Dellevoet officiating. A meal and time for fellowship will follow services at the church. Burial in the Memorial Park Cemetery of McCook will take place at 2 PM, following lunch.
Memorials in Barbara’s memory are suggested to Prairie Plains CASA in McCook or to the McCook Humane Society. Online condolences may be left at herrmannfh.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel of McCook.