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| Closeup of Sam H. Morton & Dewey Franklin Morton |
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| Sam H. & Minnie H. Morton with Dewey Franklin Morton |
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| Minnie H. Byrd Morton |
Sam was born in Hardin County, Tennessee, near the Tennessee River and near Savannah, on the farm that his father was working in shares. His father was James Franklin Morton and was 29 years old at the time of Sam's birth. Betty Rodden Morton, his mother, was 27. Sam had one sister, Martha Ann (Mattie), who was 4 years older than him. These were the only two children born to the Morton's.
After moving to Banner, for a time Sam hauled freight (groceries and such) in his flat-bed wagon from Water Valley to Banner and the other towns. He eventually did buy a farm which was located about six miles north of Bruce.
According to what Mama has said about her father, Sam, is that his parents spoiled him. But also since his father, James Franklin, was a Primitive (or Hardshell or Old School) Baptist minister, he probably came from a very strict home in regards to religious ideals. His life must have been filled with hard work and the Bible. He felt quite early that he was not one of the chosen few, one of the elect "saved" ones, and this conviction seemed to cause him to despair and to reinforce some of his wayward tendencies which kept this energetic and intelligent man from maintaining economic and social advances.
In describing her father, Mama said, "Papa wanted to have things, do things. He liked to build. Our gates never creaked. He set out an apple orchard just before we left Tennessee. We lived in a big log house there: a big room downstairs with a great limestone fireplace, a kitchen with a cellar underneath, and a hall between the two rooms, a saddle room, a loom room, and then a big upstairs. There were nine of us. Grandpa and Grandma Morton lived with us. We ate in the kitchen and washed ourselves in the kitchen."
"There were big fine trees. The women made soap from ashes and lye. It was jelly-like."
"Mama made kraut in barrels. And she made sorghum syrup in barrels. It was better than honey. Papa raised sorghum for syrup, corn, cotton, beans, pumpkins by the wagonload, peaches and apples. The farm was in the bottom about 1 to 1 1/2 miles from the house. The house was on a hill. We dried beans and fruits for use in winter. Papa had a pretty big farm. It belonged to him. He bought the farm his father had farmed on shares. He had several fine mules, lots of hogs, enough cows for milk and butter."
"Papa had a buggy, a good wagon, all kinds of plough tools of every description. He took care of what he had. He had a shop. He was a very sensible man."
Mama was very close to her father and felt that she was his favorite child. She spent a good bit of time with him. He taught her the name of all the trees and plants as they would walk through the woods.
She said, "He was an honorable man and had lots of good qualities...Papa felt that he was not elected by God, not chosen, that God had turned away from him."
Mama also said, "Papa's hair was jet black and he had brown eyes. He was a good-looking man, too good-looking. Mama had blue eyes, Grandpa Byrd had blue eyes, Grandma Byrd had brown. The Morton's were good-sized people, but Papa wasn't very big and none of my brothers are." Grandma Minnie H. was quite short, about 5'2", very slim in her youth, rotund in later life, with thin light brown hair. She had her ears pierced and wore fine earrings.
