GW was born in Buffalo, New York, on March 17, 1928, to Gerald Wade Sr. and Marie (Edwards) Morris. He had one younger brother Calvin “Duke” Morris.
In 1947, GW married Carole Barnes and they had three children: Shelly, Gary, and Carl. In 1966, he married Patsy Strong Smith. Together, they spent 59 years building a life in the Amsterdam area, raising their combined eleven children on the family farms.
Over the years, GW was a fixture of the Amsterdam community, buying and selling several properties and establishing himself as a well-known cattleman. At one point, he managed a herd of 1,000 cattle. He was a man of many interests; he enjoyed flying his own planes, traveling to six of the seven continents, and raising a variety of exotic animals, including buffalo, peacocks, llamas, and bobcats.
In 2016, GW and Patsy moved from Amsterdam to Carl Junction. In 2024, GW returned to the Amsterdam area to live with his son, Carl.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Gerald Sr. and Marie; his brother, Duke Morris; his son, Gary Morris; his wife, Patsy; and eight step-children: Richard, Jim, Ronnie, Mike, Art, Gary, Danny, and Steve.
GW is survived by his children, Shelly Sims and Carl Morris; his step-children, Connie Smith and John Smith; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
