George Morris SPURDLE [George Douglas MORRIS]

1872 - 1954  (81 years)

• Name	George Morris SPURDLE
  Known As	George Douglas MORRIS
  Birth	17 Apr 1872	Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1905  [2, 4]
  	Builder, Wanganui
  Naturalization	1916	Bucoda, Washington, United States of America   [5]
  Occupation	1920  [6]
  	School Teacher, Bucoda, Washington
  Occupation	1930  [7]
  	Insurance Agent, Bucoda, Washington
  Death	23 Jan 1954	Bucoda, Washington, United States of America   [8, 9]
  Person ID	I577	NZ Genealogy Project | SPURDLE Descendant
  Last Modified	26 Jul 2020

  
  

  Father	William Akerman SPURDLE,   b. 05 Jul 1839, Beaminster, Dorset, England d. 1895, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand (Age 55 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth Putt GILBERT,   b. 30 Jun 1847, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand d. 02 Feb 1905, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand (Age 57 years)
  Marriage	02 Jul 1867	Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand   [2, 10]
  Family ID	F172	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Anna Marion FIELD [Marion],   b. 17 Jun 1867, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand d. 31 Jan 1930, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand (Age 62 years)
  Marriage	05 Feb 1899	Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand   [1, 11]
  Children	+ 1. Herbert Henry Laird SPURDLE,   b. 09 Jan 1900, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand d. 26 Apr 1983, Hawera, Taranaki, New Zealand (Age 83 years) + 2. Winifred Anice SPURDLE [Winnie],   b. 27 Mar 1901, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand d. 26 Apr 1980, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand (Age 79 years) + 3. James Arnold SPURDLE [Arnold],   b. 05 Sep 1902, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand d. 22 Nov 1977, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand (Age 75 years) + 4. Dr Frederick George SPURDLE [Fred],   b. 16 Jul 1906, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand d. 22 Mar 1985, Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand (Age 78 years)   5. Evelyn Maud SPURDLE,   b. 21 Aug 1910, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand d. 06 Feb 1913, Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand (Age 2 years)
  Family ID	F297	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2024

  
  

  Family 2	Nettie Elizabeth NICHOLS,   b. 01 Jan 1869, Meridian, Wisconsin, United States of America d. 14 May 1925, Mabton, Washington, United States of America (Age 56 years)
  Marriage	28 Sep 1915	Bucoda, Washington, United States of America   [9]
  Family ID	F6678	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2024

  
  

  Family 3	Alida Ruth MERRILL [Ruth],   b. 18 Jan 1890, Elma, Washington, United States of America d. 22 Mar 1969, Olympia, Washington, United States of America (Age 79 years)
  Marriage	31 Aug 1926	Olympia, Washington, United States of America   [9]
  Children	+ 1. Sylvia Kathleen MORRIS,   b. 05 Aug 1927, Elma, Washington, United States of America d. 22 Nov 2014, Lacey, Washington, United States of America (Age 87 years)   2. Douglas Merrill MORRIS [Joe],   b. 13 Apr 1929, Elma, Washington, United States of America d. 15 May 1983, Sacramento, California, United States of America (Age 54 years)
  Family ID	F6679	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2024

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 17 Apr 1872 - Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand Marriage - 05 Feb 1899 - Wanganui, Wanganui, New Zealand Marriage - 28 Sep 1915 - Bucoda, Washington, United States of America Naturalization - 1916 - Bucoda, Washington, United States of America Marriage - 31 Aug 1926 - Olympia, Washington, United States of America Death - 23 Jan 1954 - Bucoda, Washington, United States of America  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  George Morris SPURDLE

  
  

  Documents

  Naturalisation - George Douglas Morris

  
  

• Notes

  BIOGRAPHY George Morris SPURDLE was born in Wanganui in 1872. He became a builder, building homes in Wanganui. George was also a lay preacher in the Methodist Church. He married Marion Field in 1899 and they had five children. In 1913 George was building a house in Wanganui, but the clients were slow in payment and George's credit ran out. When the order came for another house, he decided to buy the timber direct from the sawmill and to pay cash for it. One morning he caught the train from Wanganui bound for the sawmills at Raurimu with a briefcase containing sufficient cash to cover the purchase of the timber. He changed trains at Marton, but did not arrive at the mill and no sign was seen of him again. George's disappearance caused hardship for his wife and family. Marion went back to school teaching and worked very hard to maintain her family. Ill health forced her retirement and she died in 1930 aged 62. The whereabouts of George was unknown to his New Zealand descendants for over a hundred years, but DNA analysis has allowed the discovery of the rest of his story. George left New Zealand, adopted the name George Douglas MORRIS and eventually settled in Washington, United States of America. According to his Declaration of Intention for Naturalisation in 1916, it appears that George travelled to Australia from Wanganui, sailed from Sydney to Victoria, British Columbia. He then sailed from Victoria to Seattle, Washington, claiming to have arrived on 15 July 1912. George gave his occupation as Methodist minister, his birthplace England, and his birth year 1876 instead of 1872. George married Nettie Elizabeth NICHOLS in 1915 at Bucoda, Washington. According to the 1920 US Census George was working as a school teacher besides his work for the Methodist church. He build a house in Bucoda in 1921-1923. Nettie died in 1925 and George remarried in 1926, to Alida Ruth MERRILL, a school teacher. The couple had a son and daughter. George listed his occupation as insurance agent in the 1930 and 1940 US Census. Meri Waterhouse, George's granddaughter in Washington has a website, Dead Relatives Club, documenting more details of George's disappearance and life in the USA. OBITUARY Rev Morris of Bucoda Dies BUCODA - The Rev. George Douglas Morris, 77, a Methodist minister here for 43 years, died Saturday after a week's illness. The deceased was born April 17, 1876, in Middlesex, England and came to the United States in 1912. He was a member of the Odd Fellows. Surviving are his wife, Ruth, of Bucoda; one son, Douglas M. Morris, Bucoda; one daughter, Mrs Clarence Morgan, Tenino, and one granddaughter. Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock in the Sticklin chapel in Centralia. The Rev. Charles T. Hatten will officiate. Vault entombment will follow in Greenwood Memorial Park, with the Odd Fellows conducting graveside services. Source: The Daily Chronicle, 25 Jan 1954, Page 8.

  
  

• Sources

  [S31] Family Search, (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), none. [S118] Robyn Spurdle & Janette Howe, Spurdle Heritage, (ESA Publications, Auckland NZ 1992). [S642] NZ BDM - Historical Records - DATES, (Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington, New Zealand). [S614] NZ Electoral Rolls, 1853-2010, (Ancestry.co.uk.), none. [S1634] Washington, Petitions for Naturalization, 1860-1991, (ancestry.com). [S1633] 1920 United States Federal Census [database online]., (Ancestry.co.uk.), none. [S1635] 1930 United States Federal Census [database online]., (Ancestry.co.uk.), none. [S118] Robyn Spurdle & Janette Howe, Spurdle Heritage, (ESA Publications, Auckland NZ 1992). Disappeared in 1913, possibly murdered. [S1632] Meri Waterhouse, Ancestry.com - Public Member Tree - Deadrelativesclub, (Ancestry.com). [S122] Florence Mary Kenah, Raglan, NZ, William Spurdle - Sarah Sibley Family Tree, (April 1942). [S150] Papers Past - The Wanganui Cronicle, (Papers Past - National Library of New Zealand), none. Volume XLIII, Issue 15000, 18 February 1899, Page 2. MARRIAGE. SPURDLE - FIELD - At St. Paul's Church, on the 5th inst., by the Rev. , R. M Rybuin, George Maurice, third son of the late Mr. W. A. Spurdle, of Wanganui, to Anna Marion, youngest daughter of H. C. Field, Esq., of Wanganui.