November 10 1931 February 24 2020
Sister’s Obituary Sister Jo Morton, O.S.B. (Lajuana Jo Morton) 1931~2020 Sister Jo Morton, O.S.B., a member of Queen of Angels Monastery, died February 24, 2020 , at the Providence Benedictine Nursing Center ’s Orchard House, next door to Queen of Angels Monastery, Mt. Angel , Oregon . She was 88 years old. A vigil will be celebrated in the monastery chapel in Mt. Angel , 7pm on Wednesday, March 4 and a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 am on Thursday, March 5, 2020 followed by her burial in the Monastery Cemetery . The youngest of eight children, Sister Jo Morton was born in Hammon , Oklahoma in 1931. Her parents were Hezekiah Le Morton and Lillie May Dick Morton. She was raised in Central Oregon from the age of five, and attended Redmond High School . After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Oregon , Sister Jo was commissioned in the United States Air Force. She served her country in the Air Force for ten years before resigning and returning to school. After earning her M.S.W. in 1974 from Portland State University , Sister Jo worked for the Children’s Services Division and a treatment center for emotionally disturbed children. She became acquainted with Benedictine Sisters by attending retreats and workshops at Shalom Prayer Center . She entered the community in 1985 and made first profession in 1987. In 1987, Sister Jo began an active 20-year-long ministry as a counselor and retreat leader at Shalom. In 2007, she was appointed assistant to the prioress, and continued to serve her community in that role until 2015. Sister Jo Morton celebrated her 25th Jubilee of monastic profession on Sunday, June 3, 2012 . At age 80 years old, Sister Jo said, “I came here at age 53 and have lived here (at queen of Angels Monastery) longer that I have any other place in my whole life. When I first came here I wasn’t even a Catholic, but this place grabbed me and I wished I could be buried in the sister’s cemetery, but not right away,” she added. The Benedictine Sisters remember Sister Jo for her commitment she made to God in her monastic profession, Jo is remembered for her sense of humor, her creative writing, her passion for social justice, her gentleness, and her love of nature. Sister Jo is preceded in death by her parents and her brothers and sisters and is survived by her nieces and nephews, cousins, many friends, and her monastic community, the Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel. Memorial gifts may be made to the retirement found of the Benedictine Sisters, 840 S. Main St. Mt. Angel , OR 97362. Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Sister Jo Morton November 10 1931 February 24 2020.
Death notice for the town of: Silverton, state: Oregon