Timeline of Leon Inar Morrison

It was a surprise when a cousin relayed the information that my grandfather, Leon Inar Morrison (1917-10-07 – 1976-09-27), had been married four times. For the better part of a year, I could only find two wives: my grandmother, and the woman buried with my grandfather. Eventually, I may have found his two other wives. By this time, I had enough facts about Leon that I needed to work out a timeline for him.

This timeline is incomplete. It is early life information. I will add to it at a later date.

Last Updated: 2012-10-12

1917

1917-10-07: Birth of Leon.

1935

1935-04-17: (Navy) Enlisted in the US Navy, at Salt Lake City, Utah.

1935-??-??: (Navy) Became rating Sea1c (seaman 1st class).

1935-08-24: (Navy) First received on board the Arizona (BB-39) Navy ship.

1937

1937-03-13: Leon married Annarose Irene Winter (1920-04-27 – 2002-04-03). Their certificate of marriage read:

I hereby certify that on the 13th day of March, 1937 at Long Beach in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, under authority of a license issued by L. E. Lampton, county clerk of said county, I, the undersigned, as a minister in M. E. Church joined in marriage Leon Inar Morrison and Annarose Irene Winter in the presence of Robert Yingling residing at Long Beach, California, and Mrs. Margaret Winter residing at Long Beach, California, who witnessed the ceremony.

1937-06-11: Birth of Leon and Irene’s son, Lawrence Lee Morrison (1937-06-11 – 1946-09-24).

1939

1939-03-10: (Navy) Agreed to an extension for two full years, effective at expiration of his current enlistment. First extension.

1939-04-23: (Navy) Two year extension became effective.

1939-08-21: (Navy) Rating changed from Sea1c (seaman 1st class) to F2c (fireman 2nd class).

1939-09-06: Birth of Leon and Irene’s daughter, Sherry Roseanna (Morrison) Kelley (1939-09-06 – 1999-06-28)

1939-12-16: (Navy) Rating changed from F2c (fireman 2nd class) to F1c (fireman 1st class).

1940

19??-??-??: (Navy) Rating changed to MM2c (machinist’s mate 2nd class).

(1940-04-26: (Navy) Brother Earl enlisted in the Navy.)

1940-12-30: (Navy) Received station at New York, New York. Transferred for duty on the USS Gwen (433).

1941

(1941-01-04: (Navy) Brother Earl received on board the Arizona (BB-39) Navy ship.)

1941-01-15: (Navy) First received on board the USS Gwen (433) Navy ship.

I included Earl joining the Navy and boarding the Arizona to show how Earl joined the Arizona just as Leon was transferring to another ship.

1941-04-24: (Navy) Re-enlisted, at Norfolk, Virginia.

194?-??-??: (Navy) Rating changed to MM1c (machinist’s mate 1st class).

1941-12-07: Brother Earl, killed at age 19 when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

I’ve heard Earl went to the Arizona to be with Leon. Between Leon’s transferring away just as Earl arrived, and Earl’s death on the Arizona, there’s no doubt Leon must have taken news of the attack on the Arizona, and his brother’s death, especially hard.

1942

1942-07-30: (Navy) First received on board the Fraizier (DD607) Navy ship.

1944

1944-05-01: (Navy) Rating changed to CMM(AA) (chief machinist’s mate, ???).

1944-10-10: (Navy) Received station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

1944-10-20: (Navy) Received station at PSNY (Puget Sound Naval Shipyard), Bremerton, Washington, from Honolulu to (blank).

1945

1945-02-08: (Navy) Received station at SCTC (Submarine Chaser Training Center), San Pedro, California. First received on board the Elkhart (APA-80).

1945-04-23: (Navy) Current enlistment expired. Issued honorable discharge.

1945-04-24: (Navy) Re-enlisted for four full years.

1945-06-01: (Navy) Still serving aboard the Elkhart (APA-80).

1946

1946-09-24: Death of Leon and Irene’s son, Lawrence Lee Morrison (age 9).

Due to medical issues, there likely was a lot of uncertainty about Lawrence’s future. Even then, losing a young child had to have been an emotional hit for both Leon and Irene.

1946-11-03: Birth of Leon and Irene’s son, Michael Gary Morrison (1946-11-03 – 2007-12-06)

1947

1947-08-09: Leon’s younger sister, Inez, married.

….

….-..-..: Birth of Leon and Irene’s daughter, Margaret Denise (Morrison) Fritz (living)

????

????-??-??: Leon married Alyce Joan Backe (1902-12-05 – 1953-08-02).

1952

1952, Summer: Leon’s sister-in-law believes it was Leon’s then-wife Alyce who was with Leon on a fishing trip to Canada during summer of 1952.

1953

1953-03-23: Alyce Morrison completed a 104-hour study at a vocational school to become a dental assistant.

1953-07-31: Lived at 264 Del Mar Ave, San Diego County.

1953-07-31: Leon and Alyce were in a car accident. Alyce was injured.

1953-08-05: Lived at 264 Del Mar Ave, San Diego County.

1953-08-03: Death of Alyce in a hospital, due to injuries from the accident.

Since Leon was the driver in the accident (even though he was not at fault), this had to be another hard time for him emotionally.

????-??-??: Leon married ?????. (Leon’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Peterson, recalls Leon’s parents had been visiting Leon and his wife in California when Inez passed away.)

1954

1954-06-24: Death of Leon’s sister, Inez, at age 29.

1955

1955-11-20: Newspaper states, “Mr. and Mrs. Leon Morrison of Chula vista, Calif. have been visiting Dr. and Mrs. I. J. Petersen.”

1956

1956-12-14: Newspaper states, “Leon Morrison, a chief machinists mate in the Navy, accompanied by Mrs. Morrison, spent a week here visiting his parents, Dr. and Mrs. I. J. Peterson.”

1956-12-23: Newspaper states, “Mrs. Leon Morrison was honored at a coffee party at the home of Mrs. Glenn Hall during her visit here with her husband’s parents, Dr. and Mrs. I. J. Peterson.”

1957

1957-12-13: Newspaper mentions a Leon and Helen Morrison at the “interlocutory” stage of divorce. This may be Leon Inar Morrison and his third wife. It may be a different Leon.

1958

1958-06-14: Maxine Elain Mclaughlin and husband James Eddie Holland were in the process of divorce.

1958: Maxine Holland lived at 210 Alvarado St, Chula Vista, San Diego County. James is not mentioned in the city directory Holland.

1958-12-26 or 27: Leon is arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

1958-12-28: Lived at 3829 49th St, San Diego County.

1959

1959-02-22: Newspaper states, “Mrs. I. J. Peterson is visiting her son, Leon Morrison, and his family in San Diego, Calif., and her brother-in-law, Albin K. Peterson and his family in Los Angeles. Dr. Peterson plans to join her there for a two weeks visit.” If Helen was Leon’s wife, it’s possible his mother didn’t know he was divorced when this Montana newspaper printed this article.

1961

1961-05-13: Leon married Maxine Elaine Mclaughlin (1918-07-05 – 1965-04-11).

1965

1965-04-11: Lived at 210 Alvarado St, Chula Vista, San Diego County, with Maxine.

1965-04-29: Death of Leon’s step-father, Dr. Ivan J. Peterson, age 79.

1965-05-13: Death of Maxine, in her and Leon’s home, age 46 and nine months.

This couldn’t have been an easy event for Leon.

1976

1976-09-27: Lived at 4141 Deep Creek Rd #45, Fremont, Alameda County leading up to his death.

1976-09-27: Death of Leon. Mrs. Donna Burt as informant on his death certificate.