Kirk G & Lillian Morley

Kirk G. & Lillian Virginia (Richards) Morley

Kirk Morley and his wife Lillian along with their two very young sons Earl and Roy went on a hunting trip to G.V. Springs of the White River Forrest located in Rio Blanco County. Camping out in a tent Kirk had gone hunting leaving Lillian and the two boys at camp. While Kirk was gone during the day little Paul wandered off from the camp. Lillian searched for him initially and Kirk joined in the search when he returned. Unable to find the little boy they went to town and search parties combed the area for weeks with no success in finding Paul. Forty-seven years later (1939) a child's shoe with remains of the foot were found along the White River. It is believed the remains were washed down a drainage from the area that the boy went missing that eventually fed into the river. Based upon the style of the shoe the County Sheriff estimated the shoe was at least 40 years prior. In researching missing children from that time frame it was believed that the remains belonged to little Earl Morley. The shoe was later identified by the mother as one of the shoes belonging to her son Earl. The Morley family had left Colorado years earlier so the shoe and foot remains were buried with a red-white rock placed to mark the burial spot. Little Earl's remains are buried in the same plot with siblings Clarence (1895-1901) who died after what was described as a two week illness and Kirk R. (1900-1902) who died from pneumonia. There are no markers for any of the children.

Earl Morley (1888-1892)
Lot 579 / Plot 1 This rock is the grave marker in Highland Cemetery
Born 1888 - New Castle, CO
Died September 21, 1892 - National Forrest, Rio Blanco, County

 

---