Grace Jewel was born July 28, 1911 and spent the rest of her life more than living up to her name. She was born in a rustic log cabin in Tennessee. The Hatleys had four other daughters Doris, Ida Nell, Bertha, and Ben Wiley. Yes, Ben Wiley. The already named son never came, so the name was passed on to Grace's sister.

Grace started working for a telephone company when she was in the seventh grade. During World War II she worked for the telephone company instructing new hires and updating experienced employees. She retired from Pacific Telephone after 44 years.

She was widowed shortly after marrying Frank Paessler who had a son, Frank, Jr. Grace, along with Frank Jr.'s aunt, helped raise young Frank.

In the late 1950s Grace moved to California. She married Jack Cawthorne and lived with him and his mother in Van Nuys. Jack was killed in an auto accident in or around 1960. Frank's daughter Lynn insisted on her inheritance immediately. Grace went deeply into debt and refinanced her home in order to pay half its value to Lynn on demand.

Meanwhile in Canoga Park, Bill Morrison's wife, Frances, had a brother, Dick, whose mother-in-law lived next to Grace. Frances died in November 1962. Grace's neighbor thought Grace was wonderful and having heard that the widowed Bill was a nice guy, became determined he should marry Grace. Dick and Louise, Frances's brother and sister, held a party and invited Grace and Bill who really didn't take much notice of each other. Later, Bill was prodded into asking her on a date. Grace, who had been nudged to pieces about what a great guy Bill was, accepted. Bill took notice this time and liked what he saw. But date after date, she wouldn't let him hold her hand. One night, he walked her to her door, and in usual fashion said goodnight and walked away. She called him back and planted a whopping kiss on him. He nearly fainted with joy.

Bill was deeply in debt from Frances's prolonged illness. Grace was in financial ruin from Lynn's inheritance. One night he confessed to Grace that he couldn't afford to date her anymore. He was impoverished. She admitted she could no longer continue as she, too, was poverty-stricken. So they decided not to date anymore. They'd pool their lack of resources and marry instead.

Bill and Grace were married on August 14, 1963. Dr. Staves officiated at the Church of the Chimes in Van Nuys. Expecting to be married in his office, Dr. Staves instead led them, Uncle Ken and Aunt Louise into the sanctuary which was abloom with flowers for a wedding scheduled for later that day. Since there was no official "honeymoon" (they both had to go to work the next day), they instead turned the next 33 years into one, long glorious honeymoon.

They rented Grace's house on Califa Street to Louise and Ken and moved to Bill's house in Canoga Park. Eventually, they sold Bill's house, paid off all their debts and moved into a tiny mobile home in a lovely, small trailer park on Balboa Blvd in Van Nuys.

Grace encouraged Bill to continue his education. In a conversation that has become a family legend, Louise said to Grace "Frances wouldn't have let him do that!" Replied Grace, "Well, I'm not Frances!"

As a Church of Christ member, Grace didn't believe in drinking or smoking. Bill didn't drink or smoke as a Seventh-day Adventist. From that common doctrinal ground, Bill attended the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Saturday while Grace worked. Then Bill would accompany her to the Church of Christ on Sunday. After awhile Grace joined the Seventh-day Adventist church because she felt they should attend the same church together and Bill got grumpy if he didn't get to go to his. As a baptized member of the Church of Christ, and a Good Christian all her life, Grace joined the Seventh-day Adventist church on profession of faith. Grace was a highly regarded, wonderful deaconess and church hostess. She and Bill worked very hard with and for the Van Nuys SDA Church. At this church they made many dear friends who are still as close as family.

Debts taken care of, Grace and Bill managed their finances in such a way as to allow them to buy a travel trailer in which to tour the land. In 1969, they joined the Wally Bynum Caravaners Club International ("The Airstreamers") where some of their dearest friendships were formed. Grace and Bill took each one of the grandchildren on an Airstream caravan. Granddaughter Chrissie was so impressed by the quality people she met on the 1982 Bozeman Caravan, she vowed to become an "Airstreamer" upon her own retirement, just like Grace and Bill.

Bill's bad back more often than not prevented him from handling the truck and trailer so Grace drove instead. On mini-caravan trips with the Petersens and the Cummings, Grace often left David and Morris far behind, literally eating her dust. David (whose CB ‘handle' was "Skin Head") and Morris (known on the CB waves and elsewhere as "Grumpy") gave Grace her own CB nickname "Lead Foot Granny."

On one occasion that Bill was behind the wheel of the truck and trailer, he came upon railroad tracks in an incident that became another family legend. He could not quickly drive across the tracks, so he listened very hard, and looked both ways, twice, before proceeding. When they were half way across Grace cheerily said "Woo woo!" Bill wigged out, put pedal to the medal and roared to the other side of the tracks and never quite forgave Grace for having fooled him.

Though she nearly gave him a heart attack that day, family members believe Bill would have died a middle-aged man if it hadn't been for Dr. Grace. When she married him, Bill had high cholesterol and other assorted health problems. Grace went to his doctors, pen and paper in hand and paid for an office visit so she could ask questions and get answers. So armed, Grace oversaw his diet and kept him on the straight and narrow at least healthwise whether he liked it or not.

To keep him on the straight and narrow in other ways was no mean feat, but she did it. And achieving it with such subtlety was nothing short of miraculous in the family's eyes. Who hadn't watched Bill at the dinner table getting hot about something, puffing up, and getting ready to go into orbit. The practiced eye watched for the almost imperceptible movement of Grace's arm as she'd place a quiet hand on his knee. Instantaneously Bill's hackles deflated, the air fizzling out of him like a hot air balloon whose journey was over. If he was out of her reach? Who hadn't heard his blustering roar reduced to a mew with one soft "Now, Bill" fallen from her lips.

Grace loved to look through magazines and cookbooks. She enjoyed talking on the phone to loved ones and made her round of calls every morning: "Know anything new?...Well then, you're just as dumb as I am." Often as not, there wasn't anything that needed telling; she just wanted to hear the sound of your voice and let you know she loved you.

But sometimes you did need a talking to. "Now I'm going to tell you something," she'd say, ever so gently. "You won't get mad now, will you?" And then she'd tell you that you were doing something you oughtn't be doing. She was usually, if not always, right.

Grace never gave birth to a child, but she had many, many children. She was a wonderful mother to Frank in his growing-up years. She was a beloved mom and best friend to Alice, giving infant Chrissie her first bath because Alice was afraid to. She loved all her grandchildren and her grandchildren loved her back in full. Chrissie learned early that she had to share her grandparents. The Petersens, Hofers, Morrisons, and Cummings were close friends. Grace and Bill adopted Dennis and Don Petersen, and Scott and Greg Hofer as their grandchildren. When Bill and Grace moved to Texas, Rick Pollick was added to their grandchild list. Hordes of beloved biological nieces and nephews round out the group of people whose lives were touched by her benevolence and who will never cease to miss her gentle presence.

If there was a soul who met her and did not love her, we have no knowledge of their existence. A genuine jewel who exuded grace and kindness, Grace Jewel Hatley Paessler Cawthorne Morrison was a true lady who never met a stranger.

The obituary submitted to The Keene Star Reporter in mid-May 1997 read as follows:

Internment services for Grace Jewel Hatley Morrison, 85, of Keene, were held on April 29, 1997 in Eagle, Idaho.

Mrs. Morrison died April 23, 1997 at Town Hall Estates Nursing Home in Keene.

Grace Jewel was born July 28, 1911 in a rustic log cabin in Tennessee and spent the rest of her life living up to her name. She was a 15-year resident of Keene and a member of the Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as the Cleburne Area Quilter's Guild, and Wally Bynum Caravaners Club International. She retired from Pacific Telephone after 44 years.

A loving, kind, wise woman, she enjoyed traveling with her husband of 33 years in their Airstream travel trailer; talking to friends on the phone; and, collecting honorary children and grandchildren.

She is survived by husband, Bill Morrison; stepdaughter Alice Cummings of Keene; two stepsons; sisters Doris Goldfine, Ida Nell Thornton, Bertha Weldon, and Ben Wiley Greer; sister- in-law Louise Eitelman of Keene; several nieces and nephews; three granddaughters, including Christine Weis of Keene; a grandson; five great-grandchildren, including Nicole and Kilory Weis of Keene; and hordes of other loved ones who, though not related by blood, called her "Gramma Grace" by heart (including David and JoAnn Petersen of Keene).

Enjoy your visit.