Gordon Morrison, age 98, Concordia, died Thursday, November 5, 2026, at his ranch home in rural Concordia. Gordon was born on September 16, 1928, in Olathe, Colorado, to Joel Gordon Morrison and Clara Mae (Heath) Morrison. He was the fourth of five children and the only boy. Gordon's father was a minister of the Church of God of Anderson, Indiana.
During the worst of the Depression and Dust Bowl years, Gordon's family moved to Leoti, Kansas, to live on his Grandpa Heath's ranch. As the dust bowl years worsened, the family moved to Tacoma, Washington, and then to a farm south of Council Grove, Kansas, in the Four Mile Community in 1939. Gordon attended a country grade school and graduated from Council Grove High School in 1947. Не graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Agri-Business in 1951. While he was at K-State, he was a member of the 1950 Meats Judging Team, which competed nationally and received recognition. He completed a Master of Science degree in Agronomy in 1960. At that time, he was one of three Agronomists in the State of Kansas.
Gordon graduated K-State ROTC and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 1951, 23rd Regiment, 2nd Division, Baker Company, Infantry. He was stationed in Korea and was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant in 1953. He was awarded the Infantry Combat Badge for his service in Korea. He was a member of the American Legion Post 76, Concordia, and proudly served in honor guards for veterans.
Gordon's greatest desire was to be of service to his Lord and Savior. He came to a saving knowledge of Jesus as a young boy and entered into a covenant with God in Korea that shaped his life. He dedicated his career to teaching, inspiring and challenging young men and women who were his students to become the best that they could become.
Gordon's teaching career began immediately after his return from Korea. He taught Vocational Agriculture at Alton, Kansas and Council Grove High School a total of fourteen years, before moving to Concordia where he was a professor in the Agribusiness Department, Cloud County Community College, until 1988. He was Agri-Business Chair until he retired in 1990. At the time he retired, there were about 100 students enrolled in Agri-Business. Many of the nurses who graduated from CCCC were in his chemistry classes.
Wherever he taught, his students received recognition for their achievements. In Council Grove, he was a member of the Methodist Church, advisor to the FFA chapter named Best in Kansas and Kiwanis District Lieutenant Governor, to name a few. Gordon also received state and national recognition. А Kansas Master Teacher, he taught hundreds of young men and women agricultural economics. He not only taught agricultural classes, he was actively involved in farming, ranching and related agricultural activities.
Gordon married his childhood sweetheart, Jean Alexander, in 1951. The couple had three daughters: Kathy Schmidtberger, Beth (Gary) Grommet and Laura (John) Wojtowicz. Jean died of cancer in 1975. Gordon married May Freeman Robison in 1976, and her two children John Robison and Becky Robison (Randy) McVey joined the household. May died of a brain aneurism in 2012. He then married Janet. G. Chapman in 2012. She survives him. Gordon always told people he was a blessed man and had had three beautiful wives.
Gordon was always active in a church and community as he felt led. He is a member of The Baptist Church and has been an Elder. He is a member of Gideon's International and was a charter member of the Full Gospel Men's Fellowship. He served on a variety of boards including Cloud County Conservation, Cloud County Wind Energy, Agribusiness Advisory Council, was President of Rotary one year and worked for Kansas Crop Improvement Association as a certified seed wheat inspector and producer. He and a student designed, built and operated one of the first portable seed cleaners; he also farmed and had a small cow/calf operation. For twenty years, he wrote a weekly column "The Learning Post" for Grass and Grain and published a collection of these articles in a book entitled "Views from The Learning Post".
After retirement he began ranching and farming full time on a ranch he acquired south of Concordia, where he maintained a herd of Angus cattle. He was a good steward of the soil and greatly interested in soil conservation. He delighted in taking poorly managed land in poor condition and restoring it to productive pasture where cattle could graze in plenty and contentment. The ranch earned the Cloud County Conservation Award. He lectured in Ubezestkan as part of an educational initiative to help that country.
Gordon traveled extensively in the continental United States, Alaska, Canada and Costa Rica, Central America. He loved to hunt with Little Ann and was an avid fisherman. During later years, he helped maintain a good-sized garden. He and Janet created the JGM Enterprise and maintained a small herd of Gelbviech cattle and several hives of bees.
Gordon was preceded in death by his parents; siblings Nila Bennett, Eunice Kane and Mary Nell Hutton; wives Jean and May.
He is survived by his wife Janet and sister Stella (Dean) Sharp; daughters Kathy, Beth and Laura; four grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, November 12, 2026, at Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, Concordia, KS, with Pastor Cory Shipley officiating. Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m., Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with the family greeting friends from 6-7 p.m., all at the funeral home. Interment will be at the Morrison Ranch Cemetery, 1268 Key Road, Concordia, Kansas. The family suggests memorials to the RanchLand Trust or the Cloud County Community College Foundation to establish a scholarship in memory of Gordon. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com. Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, 325 W. 6th St., PO Box 606, Concordia, KS 66901, is in charge of arrangements.
