JOAN WEST MORTON

(January 8, 1945 – September 13, 2026)

Joan West Morton, 81, left her home on the farm in Forreston for heaven on September 13, 2026.

Joan was born in Dallas, Texas, the only child of B.M. (“Melvin”) and Norene West. After graduating from W.W. Samuell High School, she began her career in the banking industry.

She married Dennis Kent Morton on July 15, 1967. She knew Dennis and his family from being neighbors and attending church together and liked to remind him of the first words she remembered him saying to her (and one of his sisters): “You girls don’t touch my car”.

Early in their marriage, Dennis' job moved them to San Antonio. They (along with their fathers) built a homemade house in Forreston so they would have a place to stay while visiting their families in Dallas on the weekends. While in San Antonio, their daughter Anne-Marie was born.

They moved to the house in Forreston permanently in 1975. They bought more land, started raising cattle, and joined First Baptist Church of Waxahachie. Around the time Anne-Marie was starting school, Joan began working at Citizens National Bank in downtown Waxahachie.

In the years that followed, Joan was a member of the FBC Chancel Choir, taught third grade Sunday School and preschool choir, sang solos, served on committees, and spent countless hours every November and December working on costumes and singing for the annual Christmas Pageant production.

She and Dennis enjoyed traveling together - especially to Bar 4L Ranch in Lampasas and the hill country - visiting friends and family wherever they may be, and spending time at their vacation home in Glorieta, New Mexico.

In April 2004, her husband and best friend Dennis passed away. If anyone ever asked why she never showed an interest in remarrying, she would gently remind them that she had already been married to the very best.

She retired from Citizens National Bank the following January (just days before granddaughter Gracen was born), having worked as an assistant cashier and executive assistant to three generations of bank presidents over the 26 years she was there. She loved her bank family and following her retirement she enjoyed another 20 years of gathering with her friends “the bank girls” to celebrate birthdays and spend time together.

After retirement, she spent a great deal of time with her family and also became even more involved in serving at FBC. She was a truly dedicated “choir angel” and just days before her passing was recognized for 20 years of service in the Music Ministry. She sang with both the Worship Choir and the senior adult choir, Ellis County Singers. She was also a facilitator in the GriefShare program for 17 years, and was a member of The Book Club Sunday School class.

She was an inaugural cast member of The Old-Fashioned Singing Project, a talented group that gathered to sing Southern Gospel hymns and tell heartwarming stories before live audiences, primarily at the Chautauqua Auditorium in Waxahachie. She also served on the Board of Old-Fashioned Singing for many years.

Joan enjoyed many hobbies over the years, but the one that was her true passion was making homemade greeting cards. She had a craft room dedicated to her card-making and created hundreds of cards every year. Eventually it was a hobby that she and Anne-Marie enjoyed together.

When the weather permitted, she could be found drinking her morning coffee in a rocking chair on her front porch. She enjoyed playing card games and spending time in the kitchen with her family and watching Frasier reruns with Gracen. She introduced granddaughter Sarah to Agatha Christie books as they shared a love of reading. She gave son-in-law Tim a hard time at every opportunity (which thrilled him to no end). She and Anne-Marie watched Dateline together, collaborated on planning for family gatherings and talked on the phone many times a day when not under the same roof. Most Friday nights she could be found laughing in the company of her beloved “Foodies” at a local restaurant – usually, but not always, a Mexican restaurant.

Joan was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her treasured in-laws, T.D. and Reva Butler. She is survived by her daughter Anne-Marie Reese and son-in-law Tim, grandson Casey Scott, granddaughter Sarah Reese, and granddaughter / best friend Gracen Scott. She is also survived by special uncle James West, sister-in-law Laura Bailey, numerous nieces and nephews, and many, many friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ministry that was closest to Joan’s heart, the Music Ministry at First Baptist Church of Waxahachie.