Hazel Betty Morrison

Hazel, who went by her middle name Betty, was a remarkable woman. Her perseverance in life brought her many successes, but most of all, allowed her to enjoy time with the one's she loved. Despite two battles with cancer, two hip and one knee replacement, Betty's spirits were solid and she lived a long beautiful life with her husband, two children, three grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She was an only child, born to Alfred and Harriet Moss on September 20, 1906 in Providence, Rhode Island. Her mother stayed at home while her father worked in jewelry sales. Due to Alfred's work, the family moved to Chicago when Betty was 10. Betty and her father always had a close relationship. They went together on fishing trips to Minnesota and those were special times that Betty would never forget. As a teenager, she enjoyed going to parties and having fun with her friends. The boys were crazy about her, even though she was a tomboy. With all the fun and boyfriends, Betty still made her academics a priority. She graduated from Senn High School in 1924. The fall of 1924, she began her college education at the University of Illinois. Betty quickly made new friends in college who gave her opportunities for study breaks. They had lots of fun together doing a variety of activities. Betty especially loved horseback riding and playing tennis. Even with the good times she had, again, Betty's real commitment was to her studies. She had a passion for the stock market and so she chose to major in General Business. Betty ended up graduating from college in 1928, Magna Cum Laude. Her parents were extremely proud of her hard work and success. As a new college graduate, Betty's first job was at an investment securities firm in Chicago. Soon after that, the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Thanks to Betty's proficient typing skills she was able to find work. The effects of the Great Depression caused Betty a lot of angst about the future. To lift her spirits, Betty took a two-month trip to Europe and North Africa in 1930. She was a very independent woman and she enjoyed doing what she wanted to do when she wanted to do it. She was fortunate to experience other trips as well. In 1932 she toured Bermuda, followed by trips to Japan and China in 1935, Central and South America in 1936 and took a return trip to Europe again in 1937. The year 1937 was also when Betty went on a blind date that changed her life forever. It was the night she met Bob. Four dates later, eighteen days after meeting, the couple knew they had found their soul-mate. On October 30, 1937, they tied the knot at the Central Congregational Church in Topeka, Kansas. Betty and Bob settled into married life in their new apartment at 415 Aldine Avenue in Chicago, Il. By 1941 they had their first home in Park Ridge, Il. It was a great accomplishment to buy their new home, but Betty had little room in her heart to rejoice. On November 20, 1941, her dad passed away. It was a deep and devastating loss for her and she remained changed from that point on. Betty somehow mustered the strength to go on living and on January 15, 1942, she and Bob adopted Robert Alfred Morrison into the family. Four years later, on April 11, 1946, Harriett Barbara Morrison was adopted and their family was complete. Due to Betty's savvy business sense, the family was always financially secure. A job promotion brought the family to relocate to 1337 Peck Street in Muskegon, Mi. They found a huge, gracious and elegant home to call their own until 1954. They moved again to 350 Mid Oak Drive where they bought a large elegant home. Three years later, Betty's mother moved in with the family. She was suffering from cancer and the family cared for her until she passed away in 1959. The children grew up and in December 21, 1966, their son Bob married Joanne. In 1967, Barbara married, and later, she married her present husband, Chuck. Her married children gave her the blessing of being a grandmother. Betty was close with her grandchildren, Eric, Sharon and Don. She spent lots of good times with them and created many lasting memories. The grandkids grew up too, and soon, Betty shared the joys of being a great-grandmother to Jordan, Noah, Ashley and Michael. Bob and Betty continued to find time to travel around the world. Betty also gave back to her community by serving on the boards of the Children's home, Hackley Art Museum, Hackley Free Bed and Service League. In 1975, Bob and Betty bought a retirement home in Apopka, Florida, near Orlando. The enjoyed that home for 20 wonderful years before Bob passed away in 1995. Betty's zest for life kept her going for 99 amazing years. She woke up every morning at 5:30 a.m. to find out what was going on in the Wall Street Journal. She was a very loving wife, a devoted mother, a loyal grandmother and great-grandmother, who was affectionately referred to as Gigi. Betty's strong-willed yet elegant personality drew her to people. She had many good friends that she shared great times with. Her family and friends will miss her deeply, but their love for her will live on deep in their hearts. Hazel Betty Morrison will be fondly remembered by all.