Morris was a great guy. We both worked for the DNR but in different divisions. He was in the Forestry Division as a fire fighter. I was on the road one day in the spring in the 1990s during a very bad fire period. Forest fires were popping up all over the UP and I could follow the action on my DNR radio. I can't remember now what it was but some one was looking for a particular fire unit and I had seen it so I stopped at the Ishpeming Fire Field Office to let them know what I knew. Morris was the Fire Officer in charge of that office I walked in the front door which was wide open, papers blowing around, phone ringing and not a soul insight. I found Morris in the equipment room out back looking at the empty shelves normally stocked with fire fighting equipment. He was turning round and round looking at the empty shelves saying, " I'm tapped out, I'm tapped out, there is nothing left". Hay Morris, do you need some help I asked? He looked at me with glazed eyes and said "Could you answer the phone?" I spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone.
Morris Wheeler, he was like a brother by another mother to me. We met around seventh grade, and quickly became cohorts in so many adventures and misadventures. There were many like me that were blessed to be a buddy to a larger than life character. He was incredibly smart. I believe George Voce was sewhat in that category, another member of the Wheeler pack. When we were in high school he became the owner of a British Police car, a Woolsley 690. Twin carburetor, four speed manual shift on the column, he worked on it endlessly in his driveway. He and a lady friend rolled it over on the S curve on Big Bay Rd. after that his theme song was Jan and Dean's, Deadman's curve. During his stint in the navy he was an electronics technician, on a destroyer shadowing Russian submarines in the North Atlantic. Good thing I didn't have to try to learn that stuff, we would never have known where any of those Ruskies were hiding. I barley know how to turn on a light switch. I was very impressed by his knowledge and comprehension, in so many areas of technical knowledge.
While with the DNR he worked in wild fire abatement, in a management capacity, handled crews building structures, such as roads, bridges, buildings, the cabins out on the Harlow creek areas on Harlow lake and Lake Superior. He did his challenges to be sure, but always infused humor in almost every confrontation, or task. One example was in dealing with instructional issues with female members of his crew, if the discussion became a bit confrontational, and tears were beginning to show up, he would say to the individual, don't change the subject.
The man was worthy of a book, maybe a movie, blessed to know him!
Morris and I sat next to one another in Mrs Dembowskis 10th grade English class. He was a really good guy and very personable. We were also in the same gym class and we all learned that trying to block Morris in "touch" football was not a good idea.
Michael Ellsworth
A long ago friend--spent many a good time with Morris-----RIP my friend
Ronald Raisanen
Morris was a great guy. We both worked for the DNR but in different divisions. He was in the Forestry Division as a fire fighter. I was on the road one day in the spring in the 1990s during a very bad fire period. Forest fires were popping up all over the UP and I could follow the action on my DNR radio. I can't remember now what it was but some one was looking for a particular fire unit and I had seen it so I stopped at the Ishpeming Fire Field Office to let them know what I knew. Morris was the Fire Officer in charge of that office I walked in the front door which was wide open, papers blowing around, phone ringing and not a soul insight. I found Morris in the equipment room out back looking at the empty shelves normally stocked with fire fighting equipment. He was turning round and round looking at the empty shelves saying, " I'm tapped out, I'm tapped out, there is nothing left". Hay Morris, do you need some help I asked? He looked at me with glazed eyes and said "Could you answer the phone?" I spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone.
Harold (Joe) Libby
Morris Wheeler, he was like a brother by another mother to me. We met around seventh grade, and quickly became cohorts in so many adventures and misadventures. There were many like me that were blessed to be a buddy to a larger than life character. He was incredibly smart. I believe George Voce was sewhat in that category, another member of the Wheeler pack. When we were in high school he became the owner of a British Police car, a Woolsley 690. Twin carburetor, four speed manual shift on the column, he worked on it endlessly in his driveway. He and a lady friend rolled it over on the S curve on Big Bay Rd. after that his theme song was Jan and Dean's, Deadman's curve. During his stint in the navy he was an electronics technician, on a destroyer shadowing Russian submarines in the North Atlantic. Good thing I didn't have to try to learn that stuff, we would never have known where any of those Ruskies were hiding. I barley know how to turn on a light switch. I was very impressed by his knowledge and comprehension, in so many areas of technical knowledge.
While with the DNR he worked in wild fire abatement, in a management capacity, handled crews building structures, such as roads, bridges, buildings, the cabins out on the Harlow creek areas on Harlow lake and Lake Superior. He did his challenges to be sure, but always infused humor in almost every confrontation, or task. One example was in dealing with instructional issues with female members of his crew, if the discussion became a bit confrontational, and tears were beginning to show up, he would say to the individual, don't change the subject.
The man was worthy of a book, maybe a movie, blessed to know him!
William Whitten
Morris and I sat next to one another in Mrs Dembowskis 10th grade English class. He was a really good guy and very personable. We were also in the same gym class and we all learned that trying to block Morris in "touch" football was not a good idea.