SAMUEL LUTHER MORTON, 80 years, of Decatur, Nebraska, passed away Monday, July 5, 2010, at the VA Medical Center Hospice in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Sam was born November 16, 1929, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Sam L. and Margaret (Moore) Morton. He lived with his parents on a farm near Menlo, Iowa, and in Greenfield, Iowa. In 1938, his family moved to the Moore family farm near Quinnebaugh Lake between Tekamah and Decatur, Nebraska. He continued living on or being a part of this farm for the remainder of his life. The farm, now known as The Moore/Morton farm, was established by Charles Lafayette Moore in 1872 and has been continuously occupied by immediate family since that time.

Sam attended Fairview (District 8) Country School and Tekamah High School, graduating in 1949.

He served in the US Army from 1951 to 1953. He was deployed to Korea, where he served with the Army Tank Corps, Div. 45. Following his discharge from the service, he returned to the farm, farming with his father.

On December 29, 1963, Sam was married to Paulina Nelson of Tekamah. They lived in Tekamah, but he continued farming the land with his father. Upon the death of his father in 1972, he and Paulina assumed ownership of the farm and moved to the family home.

Sam was a lifelong member of the Riverside Baptist Church, where he served in various capacities on the church board. He was a 50-year member of Tekamah Lodge #31 Masons of Nebraska and a member of American Legion Rogers-Crum Post No. 215 of Decatur.

He had a lifelong interest and love of horses, and started riding the work horses on the farm at an early age. One of his great joys was watching his nephew, Dan Morton Jr., compete in the rodeo. He made numerous trips to rodeos including the Cheyenne Frontier Days.

He enjoyed all of his nieces and nephews, particularly the Dan Morton family who lived in Minnesota and were close enough for him to see with some frequency.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Paulina of 37 years; brother-in-law, Douglas Thorson; and sister-in-law, Donna Jean Morton.

Survivors include his two sisters, Rachel Thorson of Peoria, Illinois, Annetta (Bob) Haack of Rio Verde, Arizona; brother, Dan L. (Joan) Morton of Winthrop, Minnesota; 13 nieces and nephews and their families.

FUNERAL SERVICE: Monday, July 12, 2010, 2:30 p.m. at Riverside Baptist Church in rural Tekamah.

VISITATION: Sunday 1 - 8 p.m. with the family receiving friends from 5 - 7 p.m.at Pelan Funeral Home in Tekamah. Visitation Monday will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.

BURIAL: Tekamah Cemetery with Military Honors by VFWGleason-Rogers Post No. 6926 and American Legion Rogers-Crum Post No. 215

MEMORIALS: Riverside Baptist Church

Please feel free to send your condolences to the family.
Each condolence will be printed and given to the family after the service.

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