Mary Anita Hitch

The following is from a family history sent to me by Stephen J. Hitch of Kent, WA in 1997: "Mary Anita Hitch the only daughter and first born to Harve and Marie (Zaat) Hitch. She was the big sister to Jim and Ken. Mary graduated from Holy Names Academy Catholic High in 1955 and after one year at Seattle University married David Watson Morris February 23, 1957 at St. John's Catholic Church in Seattle. They met through the hiking club at the university.

Dave was born May 10, 1935 in Walla Walla, WA to Wyndham George and Teresa Elizabeth Watson Morris, originally from Vancouver, BC Canada. Dave was the 4th child in a large family of 6 boys and one girl. He graduated from Seattle Prep Catholic High in 1953 and from Seattle University in December 1957. Dave was a graduate of ROTC and entered active duty in the army on March 10, 1958 at Ft Sill, OK as a 2nd Lt. He brought with him to Ft Sill his wife Mary, and first son, Donald Martin. From then on until retirement from the military, their life was a series of moves and babies. From Ft Sill to Ft Bragg, NC to Korea (Dave alone while Mary lived in Seattle). Then back to Ft Bragg to Ft Knox, KY to Ft Richardson, AK to Ft Sam Houston, TX to Vietnam (Dave went overseas alone while Mary and the children returned to Seattle). His next assignment was to Ft Lewis, WA then to Ft Leavenworth, KS, then to the Pentagon (the family lived in Fairfax, VA) and finally to his last assignment back to Ft Lewis, WA.

After retiring from the army, Dave worked as a Personnel Manager for the Boeing Co for ten years and retired from Boeing in August 1990. Mary worked as an Educational Secretary first in their children's elementary school in Fairfax and then in high schools in Tacoma and Sumner, WA ending her 16 years of "career" at Emerald Hills Elementary near their home in Sumner, WA in June 1990.

As of this writing in 1996 Dave and Mary are enjoying retirement in good health, living in a new smaller home adjacent to Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA during the summer and wintering in St. Petersburg, FL where they keep very active playing tennis, swimming, biking, and walking the beach. A privilege of their early retirement years was caring for Dave's mother until she died peacefully in their home in April 1993. They love to travel and trailered around the US and parts of Canada in 1990 spent 6 weeks in Europe in 1992 (Germany, France, Switzerland, and biked 200 miles along the Danube River across Austria); backpacked and hiked the entire 100 mile Wonderland Trail around Mt Rainier in 11 days in 1993 and drive to Florida and back each year."

Mary married David Watson Morris on 23 Feb 1957 in WA.¹ (David Watson Morris was born on 10 May 1935 in Walla Walla, WA ¹.)