A. Isabelle Morris, Delmarva poultry pioneer
Please join us in a Celebration of the Life of A. Isabelle Morris Saturday, May 20, at 11 a.m., in the chapel of Short Funeral Services, 609 E. Market St., Georgetown. The family will receive friends and family one hour prior to the Celebration. Isabelle passed away Thursday, April 20, 2017, at the age of 92.
Isabelle was born in Georgetown March 23, 1925, to John Myers Short and Leona Simpler Short, the youngest of five children. She married Ernest Hill in 1943, who was killed in April 1944 during World War II. She later married Howard "Sonny" Morris June 5, 1946. They shared a beautiful life together until his death in 1981.
Isabelle was raised a "farm girl" and has told many stories of things she did on the farm that are not experienced on today's farms. She graduated from Georgetown High School class valedictorian and attended Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington. While attending high school she won several awards for spelling and remained an avid speller all her life and was a consultant to all family members for correct spellings.
Early employment included work at Georgetown High School, Braun's Men's Store in Georgetown, and in 1955 becoming the first full-time staff member of Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. when the office was located at the Poultry Auction Block in Selbyville. She went on to serve DPI for the next 33 years, retiring in 1988 from the DPI Substation in Georgetown. During that time, many, many hours were spent working and making arrangements for the Delmarva Chicken Festival, held annually in June.
Isabelle enjoyed her life outside of work by going to the beach with her family, gardening, cooking, visiting family, playing bridge with her life-long friends, and volunteering at the Marvel Carriage Museum. She especially loved taking their pontoon boat out on the river, crabbing and then all the cooking and messy eating involved afterward. She was also an avid reader. She took great pride in her home, which was always evident. In later years, she attended as many plays, school functions, and sporting events of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as she could muster and they could always count on her being there. She was a life-member of the Georgetown Historical Society and a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Georgetown.
In addition to her parents, Isabelle was preceded in death by her first husband, Ernest Hill; her second husband, Howard Morris; her four siblings; and a special cousin, Margaret Hastings.
She is survived by her two daughters, Patricia 'Pat' Kelley and husband Lynwood “Thomas” Kelley of Lewes, and Jill Morris of Auburn, N.Y.; five grandchildren, Kristine Sizemore, Ed Kelley, Diane Schillawski, Virginia Ruwet-Kelley and Jeremiah Ruwet; five great-grandchildren, Jamie Kelley, Kassy Sizemore, Abby Sizemore, Claire Kelley and Logan Kelley; and one great-great-granddaughter, Myshaylah Kelley-Maier; nieces, grand-nieces, and -nephews.
In lieu of flowers the family requests a charitable contribution to the Marvel Carriage Museum, 510 S. Bedford St., Georgetown, DE 19947.
