Mary Jo was born on April 18th, 1934 in Shawnee Oklahoma. She graduated from Checotah High School (1952) before attending Connors State University and joining the Navy in 1953. In the Navy's Waves Reserve Unit, she served on the Recruit Drill Team and as a Communication Technician for the National Security Agency. While stationed in Washington D.C. she met and married Orville Morris in 1954 and they remained married for 63 years until Orville passed in 2017. Upon leaving the Navy, Mary Jo moved to California where she gave birth to their three children. She would eventually move to Lee's Summit, Missouri where she lived for over 50 years; working for the Bank of Lee's Summit and attending First Assembly of God. Her family and friends were her lifelong passion. She always had time to fish, go to a garage sale, sew, play cards, or give free advice.
Mary Jo is survived by her three sons, Kenneth Morris (Gwen), John Morris, and Richard Morris (Rose); seven grandchildren, Keith Morris (Kim), Kelly Morris, Jennifer Graham (Joe), Ricky Morris, Michael Morris (Christy), McKenzie Kramer (Jarod), and Hallie Morris; and five great-grandchildren, Landon Morris, Ellie Morris, Alexander Graham, Remy Morris, and Jocelyn Morris. She is preceded in death by her husband, Orville Morris; her parents, Carroll and Ruth Rountree; and her siblings Ruth Carolyn Dorrough, Kenneth Rountree, and Richard Rountree.
Services will be held in Kansas City on Wednesday, October 24th at Mount Moriah Funeral Home at 10507 Holmes Road. Visitation will start at 10:00 am with the service following at 11:00 am. Interment with military honors will be held in the afternoon at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville, Missouri.