Director & Membership Chairman
Albert Thayer Morton was born in Flint, Michigan on 1 Sep 1939, the first child of Harry Thayer Morton, and Marjorie Anna Williams. Al's only sibling, William Frederick Morton, was born 4 years later, to the day.
Al grew up in Flint, during the heyday of the automobile, and graduated from high school in 1957. Of course, living in Flint, he did drive a '57 Chevy. He started college, in what was then known as Flint Junior College. He transferred to Ferris State University in 1959, and graduated from Ferris State University in 1962, with a BS degree in Pharmacy.
Shortly after graduation from college, Al Married Valerie Jeanne Miller, of Flint, Michigan. They had 3 children: Maribeth b. 1963, Natalie b. 1964, and Bradley Thayer Morton b. 1966. Al was particularly pleased when Bradley, and his wife Anna, named their first son, born in 1994, Thayer John Morton.
Al became interested in tracing his genealogy in 1965, when his father died. In 1965, all genealogy was done on paper, and Al worked on the genealogy for about 3 years. The 'paper' finally got to him, and he gave up any further research.
Al's wife, Valerie, died in 1972. He married again, to an old college sweetheart, Carolyn Harden, in 1983. They are living happily in Rochester, New York, (Penfield is a suburb of Rochester).
When Al's step-father died, in 1991, Al decided to get back into the genealogical research of his origins. Having started using computers in 1982 he decided that using a computer was a good way to continue his research. He purchased ''brand X" program for genealogy, and entered all of the data that he had previously written on paper. Up popped a problem Bradley married Anna, and Maribeth married Louis. Anna and Louis were brother and sister, "brand X" program could not deal with that. Al tried a couple of other programs, and the problem still persisted.
He doesn't remember the time, or the electronic service, but someone recommended contacting Patricia Thayer Muno. Al did contact Patricia Thayer Muno, and she was able to supply all of the information that Al needed to trace his roots back to Thomas Thayer, the immigrant to North America, AND Patricia suggested that he might like "PAF", which is published by the LDS Church. He entered the data into PAF, and decided that this was the only software worth using. It was inexpensive. Cost: $35.00 First update was free, but the second update was $3.00 The most recent update was free.
On to Al's lineage: The line goes like this: Thomas, Ferdinando, Jonathan, Jonathan, Jonathan, Asahel, Artemas, Geroge W., George W., Fannie Estelle Thayer, Harry Thayer Morton, and then Al.
Having heard of the Thayer Family Association, from Patricia, Al asked if there was anything that he could do to help the TFA. She suggested that he write to Raymond Alexander Thayer. Al did write to Raymond Alexander Thayer, asking if there was anything that he could do, to help. As they say: THE REST IS HISTORY!
Al's hobbies include messing around with computers, taking Sunday naps, and sailing. His last sailing trip was on a 42' Cat, out of Annapolis, MD, in May 1994. If all goes well, the next trip will be sailing in the Cape Cod area for 2 or 3 weeks, on the same 42' Cat. Al's oldest friend (that means longest continuous friendship) is Dr. Richard Nivala, with whom Al attended college (Ferris 1960). Dick owns the cat, and Al taught Dick how to sail. Al has spent most of his life sailing in the Great Lakes (mostly Lake Huron), and also has spent a great deal of time sailing in the British Virgin Islands.
Al doesn't remember teaching Dick to sail. Al remembers that they just sailed. Well there was that one thunderstorm thing. Dick did do a good job of bringing down the sails. Only spent 10 minutes in the water. Contrary to legend, the captain does not have to be the last person to leave the ship. Throw a half-hitch around that piling . . .