Lucille Fern Morris

Lucille Morris, 95, passed away on Nov. 15, 2017 in Overland Park, KS. She was born in Axtell, Nebraska on Feb. 15, 1922 to Marion and Ellen (Dahl) Hendrickson. When asked at age 95, Lucille Morris said that she owed her longevity to perseverance. She started life on a farm in western Nebraska. As a result of the hardships caused by the Dust Bowl, her family sold the farm and moved east to Stella, Nebraska. There she started Stella High School and worked at the local drug store, graduating in 1940. Right out of high school, she married Johnny Flies. They lived in Auburn, Nebraska, until Johnny was out of the service, then moved to Kansas City, Kansas and lived in a Missouri Pacific Railroad section house. There they raised their children, Karon and Beverly. While living there, the family survived two major floods and the loss of another daughter, Joyce, who died at age 3.

Determined to get out of the section house, Lucille started working at Security National Bank, starting at the bottom of the ladder and working her way up to head teller. She was a great example of a strong woman, and the joke in the family is that she was a Head Teller, and started a long line of head “tellers.” In 1959, Johnny died of a heart attack at the age of 41.

After her daughters married and left home, she quit her job, sold her house, and moved to the Lake of the Ozarks. There, she married E.A. (Smokey) Tofari, and started working at Camden County Bank. After 15 years of marriage, Smokey died.

In 1982, Lucille married Harold Morris and they retired and built a log home on the lake. They enjoyed gardening, travel, and dancing together. Lucille honed her skill as an artist and belonged to the Ozark Brush and Palette Club. Due to failing health, Lucille served as Harold’s caretaker for several years. He passed away in 2000.

At age 90, Lucille went on a hot air balloon ride, then picked up again to move back to Kansas City to be close to family and enjoy life at the Atriums where she had many friends and loved a good mudslide at happy hour.

As her brother once said, she was the “Unsinkable Molly Brown”. Her family is grateful to have had her as an example of how to live life with gratitude and humor.

She was preceded in death by husbands, John Flies, E.A. Tofari and Harold Morris; daughters, Joyce Flies and Karon Flies Stroup.

She is survived by daughter, Beverly (Allen) Booe, granddaughters, Julie Gadwood, Carrie Mandigo and Lori Sigler; son-in-law, Don Stroup; brother, Dale Hendrickson; sister, Shirley Petersen; and 6 great grandchildren, all who will remember her as a strong and joyful soul.

Service will be 11:00 am on Dec. 9, 2017 at Village Presbyterian Church, Prairie Village.