We Were the Morris Orphans: 4 Brothers, 5 Sisters & Me
When a drunk driver orphans ten children, their plea to stay together sparks international news—and prompts a trust fund that attracts corrupt and abusive fostering.

“They’re not dead, are they?” The officer’s body visibly slumped as he delivered his final nod.

From that July day in 1968 on, the Morris family became the Morris orphans: ten children who attracted nationwide attention, and a trust fund that didn’t bring out the best in those who fostered them. Kathi, the oldest, was only seventeen when her parents were killed by a drunk driver. This is her story—behind the headlines—of when the Morris orphans only had their mutual loss and each other.
"1139396962"
We Were the Morris Orphans: 4 Brothers, 5 Sisters & Me
When a drunk driver orphans ten children, their plea to stay together sparks international news—and prompts a trust fund that attracts corrupt and abusive fostering.

“They’re not dead, are they?” The officer’s body visibly slumped as he delivered his final nod.

From that July day in 1968 on, the Morris family became the Morris orphans: ten children who attracted nationwide attention, and a trust fund that didn’t bring out the best in those who fostered them. Kathi, the oldest, was only seventeen when her parents were killed by a drunk driver. This is her story—behind the headlines—of when the Morris orphans only had their mutual loss and each other.
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We Were the Morris Orphans: 4 Brothers, 5 Sisters & Me

We Were the Morris Orphans: 4 Brothers, 5 Sisters & Me

by Kathi Morris
We Were the Morris Orphans: 4 Brothers, 5 Sisters & Me

We Were the Morris Orphans: 4 Brothers, 5 Sisters & Me

by Kathi Morris

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Overview

When a drunk driver orphans ten children, their plea to stay together sparks international news—and prompts a trust fund that attracts corrupt and abusive fostering.

“They’re not dead, are they?” The officer’s body visibly slumped as he delivered his final nod.

From that July day in 1968 on, the Morris family became the Morris orphans: ten children who attracted nationwide attention, and a trust fund that didn’t bring out the best in those who fostered them. Kathi, the oldest, was only seventeen when her parents were killed by a drunk driver. This is her story—behind the headlines—of when the Morris orphans only had their mutual loss and each other.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781637581261
Publisher: Post Hill Press
Publication date: 11/30/2021
Pages: 320
Sales rank: 1,042,778
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

Kathi Morris is the oldest of the ten Morris orphans and currently lives in Clovis, California. This memoir was a finalist in the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference. She won grand prize at the iconic Sardine Factory in Monterey, California, where the movie Play Misty for Me was filmed, for her written tribute on their fiftieth anniversary commemoration. After a thirty-five-year career with the IRS, surviving divorce and ovarian cancer, she retired and worked for Pebble Beach Resorts. Her greatest joys are her children and grandchildren, and her dream is to own a home in Monterey Bay.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part 1 My Story

Chapter 1 The First Fifteen Minutes 3

Chapter 2 Out into the Empty 8

Chapter 3 Violets are Blue 13

Chapter 4 The Final Act 25

Chapter 5 Trust Fund 34

Chapter 6 Pen Pals 48

Chapter 7 Mutiny on the Bounty 52

Chapter 8 The Decision 60

Chapter 9 Leaving the Past Behind 65

Chapter 10 She Didn't Follow the Rules 70

Chapter 11 Aunt Glo's 73

Chapter 12 Evolution 83

Chapter 13 The Beatles 88

Chapter 14 Revolution 92

Chapter 15 Pit Stop 94

Chapter 16 Foster Home Two 101

Chapter 17 I Thought Jesus Died for Girls Like Me 108

Chapter 18 Sometimes Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll Lead to Jesus 124

Chapter 19 A Brief Glimpse into My Adulthood 146

Part 2 My Siblings' and Parents' Stories

Chapter 20 My Siblings and Foster Homes 151

Chapter 21 Michael Anthony 157

Chapter 22 Russian Roulette 164

Chapter 23 Yes, We Believe You, We Always Believed in You 168

Chapter 24 Jeffrey Wayne 182

Chapter 25 Tick Tock 189

Chapter 26 The Holy Grail 196

Chapter 27 You Are Missing from Me 202

Chapter 28 Chicago Lithuanians and the Mob 219

Chapter 29 Joyce Angela 227

Chapter 30 Dancing with Angels 235

Chapter 31 Robert Gene 253

Chapter 32 The Drunk Driver 272

Chapter 33 Agoraphobia 274

Chapter 34 Trust Fund Letters and Final Disbursement 278

Chapter 35 Epilogue 281

Acknowledgments 287

About the Author 301

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