Memorial services will be 2:00 P.M. Monday, June 29 at the First Baptist Church of Amarillo with Dr. Howard Batson, pastor, officiating. A reception will be held in the Welcome Center immediately following the service. Michael was born on March 31, 1927 to Jim and Mary Morris in Warren, Ohio. For his mother"s respiratory health reasons, his family was moving to Arizona for the drier climate in August of 1941. His mother became too sick to travel, so they got off the train at the next stop at midnight. That stop was Amarillo, Texas. They stayed their first night at the Capitol Hotel. His mother"s health improved dramatically, so the decision was to stay in Amarillo. While attending Amarillo High School, Michael worked setting pins in a bowling alley, had a downtown paper route, was a soda jerk at Kirk"s Drug store, and cleaned typewriters at Russell Stationary. Like the rest of his contemporaries, he volunteered for military service upon his 17th birthday. Enlisting in the Navy in 1945, he served in the Philippine Islands until the end of World War II. Upon returning to Amarillo after the war, Michael found work with the Santa Fe railway, serving as a fireman on the legendary Madame Queen steam locomotive. The old locomotive is still on display today. In 1947, the family moved to Canyon, and Michael left the railroad to work in the family dry goods business. From 1948 to 1962, he was a representative for the family dry goods store, traveling the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles plus Eastern New Mexico. Michael married Martha Morgan in December of 1951. Together they had six children: Bynum, David, Elizabeth, Angela, Richard, and Douglas. Michael opened and operated a successful insurance agency in Canyon from 1962 to 1992. In his words, it was a great time in a wonderful town. The Morris family attended St. George"s Episcopal Church. One of his many contributions to the community was to initiate the program to put out the American flag on holidays. The Junior Chamber of Commerce has maintained the program to this day. Upon retirement in 1992, he returned to Amarillo. Martha, his wife of 49 years, passed away in July of 2001. He married Marlene Knapp in February of 2003. Michael was also preceded in death by a daughter, Elizabeth. Survivors include his wife, Marlene, of the home; five children, Bynum, of Canyon, David and wife, Tammye, of Amarillo, Douglas and wife, Dina, of Amarillo, Angela and husband, John, of Midland, Richard, of Amarillo; he is blessed by seven grandchildren, Jennifer, Christopher, Noelle, James, Ian, Mike, T.J. and also by four great grandchildren; two step-sons, Jay Knapp and wife, Mickie, of Amarillo, Jerry Knapp and wife, Peggy, of Amarillo; a step-daughter, Kim McAtee and husband, David, of Denver; eight step grandchilren; three step great grandchilren; a brother, Daniel Morris, of Amarillo; a sister, Rose Pearson, of Fort Worth; a brother-in-law, John Robert Morgan, of El Paso; and a cousin, Rosalie Humenanski, of Warren, Ohio. The family requests that memorials be made to the Lone Star Ballet, 3218 Hobbs Road, Amarillo, TX 79109 or the First Baptist Church, 1208 S. Tyler, Amarillo, TX 79101. Please sign our online guest registry.