| This is my great grandfather, James Chandler Morton. He was born in Person County, North Carolina in 1873 and died in Columbus, Georgia November 2, 1920. The lady with him is my great grandmother, Narvella Elizabeth Clark who married him in Alamance County, North Carolina on December 23, 1899. Shortly after their marriage Jim Morton left. Although we are not sure as to the reason, we think that her family objected to this marriage and her brother just persuaded him it would be healthier for him to leave. James Chandler Morton never returned to her or came to see his son, William Melvin Morton when he was born. James C. Morton married a second time, about 1904 to Alice Whitt from Alabama. From this union another son was born, James Aleus Morton. He was born November 20, 1911 in Orange County, North Carolina. The two brothers never met and to my knowledge, my grandfather never knew he had a half brother. Narvella Clark Morton Clark died in 1959. Alice Whitt Morton lived to be over 100 years old and is buried with James Chandler in Hollywood Cemetery, Jackson Tennessee. |
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| My grandfather, William Melvin Morton was born September 7, 1900 and died April 18, 1977. He would never allow my mother or any of his children to look for his family. Just before he passed away he told us it would be okay with him if my mother and myself to begin looking for his family. We had very little information to conduct such a search because he knew so little about his Morton family. He passed away before we were able to find anything. Continuing on, my mother and I found very little information and when she became ill, I stopped looking for awhile. At her urging, I continued the search for our Morton family. She too passed away in 1997 and I still had not completed my journey but I vowed to continue it until I found all I needed to know about my grandfathers family. My journey took me many years but I did find his family and also found a wonderful surprise, James Aleus Morton, second son of James Chandler Morton, my grandfathers half brother in South Carolina. He was eleven years younger than my grandfather. I was blessed to be able to have many conversations with him about my family and his. He, like my grandfather always wondered why he could not find his complete family. He was much luckier in one aspect because he did know and spend time with George G. Morton their grandfather. He told me many stories about his childhood and times spent with his grandfather. He also knew that he had a half brother, unlike my grandfather. I will be forever grateful to him for those stories and being able to share with him. Soon after getting in touch with him though, he too passed away to join his family on the other side. He sent me pictures and left me with a glimpse back into my family that I, like my grandfather, never knew.
This is William Melvin
"Jack" Morton and his wife, Cora Webster Morton. It was taken about 1935 on
their eleventh anniversary.
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On April 29, 2001, James Aleus Morton crossed over to his final home to be with his beloved Della. Della and Jim are buried side by side in the cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. He died at home with his daughter Ann by his side. I did not get to meet him in person but we had many long conversations about his life and that of my grandfather, his half brother. I wish they could have known each other before but I know they have finally been reunited .
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