Myrtle Esther (Pywell) Morris
Myrtle Esther (Pywell) Morris, better known as Myrt, 82, passed on to a better place on Jan. 16, 2021 at the Schneidmiller Hospice House in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Myrt was born on Dec. 29, 1938, to Arthur (Jeff) and Pearl Ritz Pywell at their Copeland home, during a snowstorm, with the chicken pox. She was the youngest of five children and attended Copeland, Mt. Hall, and Bonners Ferry High School, graduating in 1956.
She then moved to the West Coast, where she worked in a crab factory, leading to her hate for the taste and smell of most seafood. In 1957, she married Jim Kennedy in Vancouver, Wash. Eventually they parted ways and she returned home to North Idaho to raise her family.
Myrt and Cecil Morris were married in Libby, Mont., in 1961. They lived the busy family-farm life in Porthill. Myrt was named Farm Bureau Wife of the Year in 1980. Children, farming, 4-H, election board and county fair involvement filled many days. Class reunions and ladies’ luncheons were always on her calendar. She and Cecil separated and finding her independence spurred many adventures with friends and family.
Dancing was one of Myrt’s most favorite things to do. You could often find her helping coordinate dances in the area, or even more often, kicking off her shoes and two-stepping to some classic country music. She also enjoyed playing cards, fishing, picking huckleberries, mushrooming, traveling with friends, and loving on her grandkids and great grandkids.
Myrt was kind, fun and very well-loved. She was a strong mother, loyal friend, and a caring grandmother who always offered a listening ear or an invitation to join her at the next dance-worthy event. Her family and friends meant the world to her.
Life wasn’t always kind, she faced some devastating heartbreaks, but she never lost her smile and was always ready for some kind of fun adventure.
After a battle with esophageal cancer, she moved into the Community Restorium in May of 2020. Her last days were spent in the Hospice House surrounded by family and filled with love.
Though Myrt was insistent that she does not want a service to be held, some family and friends will be gathering to remember and celebrate her life later this spring. We respect and honor her, but like Myrt, we were never great at following directions. Her adventurous spirit, frequently requested green bean recipe and use of the phrase “Horse Pucky” will live on through her family. Forever 29 and so greatly missed.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Howard and Dale Pywell; sisters, Betty Glazier and Inez Malthaner; and three sons, Ray, Mark and Dan.
She is survived by children, Randy (Joanne) Morris and Cindy Thompson; five grandchildren, Andrea (Scott) Baker, Brandon (Jessica) Thompson, Courtney (Jeff) Myers, Lindsey Morris (Rusty Hendershott), Brittany (Shaun) Teverbaugh; and eight great-grandchildren, Devin, Jerad, Shaylan, Kamdyn, Max, Flynn, Callen, and Christina.