03/27/2022
Jeffery Dean Morse was born the youngest of four on August 16, 1960, to Ronald Clyde Morse and Geraldine “Jerry” Mae (Allen) Morse at the Collins Memorial Hospital in Knoxville, Iowa.
He was mischievous, enjoyed climbing trees, and nearly learned to fly (out of a tree) while at his Aunt June and Uncle Bob’s farm. In school, he was athletic, an excellent boxer, drove fast cars and raced motorcycles, and made and kept friends easily – many for the rest of his life. He was fun, funny, charismatic, and extremely easy to like.
He worked various jobs in and around Knoxville, including at Darnell’s DX and Goff & Nash before starting at 3M – a job from which he’d retire 36 long years later.
There he met and worked with several of his closest and dearest friends and enjoyed joking with – and playing pranks on – them. According to Jeff, he hadn’t had a bad day since his retirement. There are LOTS of stories about Jeff that will make you smile and laugh.
In the 9th grade, he asked Kristie Smith out on a date. He says he knew she was ‘the one,’ but they were too young to get married.
Jeff and Kris began their 37-year marriage on September 15th, 1984. He truly was the love of her life; he’d tell Dylan and Emily much later that she was the best woman, mother, partner, and best friend he could have ever hoped for.
They enjoyed traveling, spending time with friends, and being with family. There were many, many good times filled with love and laughter.
Together, they had two children, Dylan James, and Emily Ann; they enjoyed spending time together as a family, playing games, working on projects, and vacationing many summers at the Lake of the Ozarks or with extended family.
More recently, Jeff and Kris would spend the month between Emily and Dylan’s birthdays in Texas visiting Kevin and Monique and sightseeing. He was proud of the family they’d made and would say so regularly.
In 2015, Emily married Josh Mielk – “the only boy she ever dated that he liked.” Emily would tell her friends she was drawn to Josh, in part, because he shared so many of her dad’s positive traits.
Emily and Josh gave Jeff his newest, most favorite title – Poppy – when Isla Mae and Emma Lou were born. He loved those girls completely, and they loved him right back. Poppy was their best buddy as he was always up for a game, a trip to the park, a face full of stickers, and more underdogs than you could count.
Jeff was kind, he was generous, he was thoughtful, caring, and tremendously loyal; if anyone ever needed anything, they knew they could call Jeff and he’d be there for them. He was honest and could tell you the truth when you needed to hear it even if you didn’t want to hear it.
He was so smart about so many things, but also incredibly funny and down to try new things, go new places, and have a great time along the way. Even though in recent years it was difficult, he was also a long-time Dallas Cowboys fan.
Those left to honor his memory are: his wife Kris (Smith) Morse and son Dylan Morse, both of Knoxville: daughter Emily, son-in-law Josh, and granddaughters Isla Mae and Emma Lou Mielk of Bondurant, Iowa; Jim & Joyce Smith, Kevin (Monique) Smith of Houston, Texas, and sons Anthony and James; Kim (Mike) Pafford of Bowling Green, Missouri and children Sadie, Dalton, and Noah; Kelly Smith and daughter Maya of Dike, Iowa; Jeremy Morse and daughter Lilly of Des Moines, Iowa.
There are countless extended family members, including friends whom he considered family.
Jeff was preceded in death by his parents, Ron and Jerry Morse, and brother Larry Morse.
Memorial contributions may be made in Jeff’s name to be distributed by the family at a later date.
Visitation for Jeff will be held on Friday, April 1, 2022, at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Knoxville from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Jeff’s family will be present to greet friends and relatives. At 4:00 P.M., words of comfort will be shared by Judd Nelson.