Morse L. Boucher passed away Tuesday June 1, 2021, at Smith County
Memorial Hospital in Smith Center, Kansas. He was 86 years old. He was
the first child of Anthony Morse and Ida E. (Lambert) Boucher. He was
born on August 24, 1934, in Norton. He was blessed with four siblings.
On August 7, 1955, he married the love of his life, Lucille Carolyn
Eller in Smith Center, Kansas. She survives, Except for his time in the
Service and a short time in college; they shared their entire time
together in Smith Center. They were blessed with three Sons, Michael
Allen in 1959, Jay Morse in 1961 and Douglass Keith in 1962.
Morse worked his entire life for Boogarts Grocery business at the
company’s Mini-Max warehouse and bakery in Smith Center. He started in
the bakery and finished as the facility manager, produce and frozen
foods buyer.
The company became Scrivner-Boogarts and finally just Scrivner.
As the company grew, so did his list of accomplishments. He was
almost always the top produce division in the company. He won trophies
which were nearly taller than him. But he truly enjoyed some of the
trips, such as a week in Venice, Italy with Lucille and other winners in
the early 1980s. He also enjoyed deep sea fishing on trips to Florida.
While he was very successful in business, Morse was always called to
volunteer and help in Smith Center. When a need for a second Cookie
baseball team arose, he volunteered and coached the 13-15-year-olds
before his own boys were in school. He later coached the Jaycee Peewee
baseball team, which later became the Smith County State Bank &
Trust team for many years. He coached his own three boys for four years
and then stayed on to coach local children for another 11 years.
Morse was very active in the Jaycees for years, serving as a Jaycee
Northwest Regional, Vice President, along with many other state offices.
During this time period, the Jaycees sponsored the youth baseball team,
dances and rebuilt and held car racing at the Fair Grounds in Smith
Center.
Family activities filled his life. He led the local Boy Scouts of
America Troop 102 for several years. He was very proud of his Scouts
work for charities and for their learning proper flag etiquette. Several
of the Boys Scouts went on to earn their Eagle Scouts awards.
As his sons started middle school and high school sports, Morse
rekindled his love for football. He was added to the chain gang as Mike
started high school, but he waited until after Doug’s final game to get
really involved. He worked the chains at all varsity home games for many
years. He also started hosting a watermelon feed each school year for
the football team after two-a-day practices ended. In the beginning it
was a donation from the company, but after he left the company, he
continued to provide the watermelons for many more years. It grew from
football players to all fall sports participants. The watermelon feed
and his years of service on the chain crew ended when his good friend,
legendary Redmen football head coach Roger Barta retired.
Morse’s other sporting passion was for any team from Kansas State
University. He and Lucille loved attending football games in Manhattan
and had season tickets for more than 20 years.
Morse graduated from Phillipsburg High School in 1952. He was a
three sport-letter winner for the Panthers. He attended Kansas State
University for two years before he was drafted into the U.S. Army and
served in Georgia and Arizona from 1957 to 1959.
He joined the American Lutheran Church in Smith Center at age 50 and enjoyed many years of worship and fellowship there.
He is survived by his wife Lucille of the home, Sons Michael
(Dorothy) of Augusta, Kansas, Jay (Kathy) of Overland Park and Doug
(Merrie) of Hays. Grandchildren include Jay D. (Brooke) of Claremore,
Okla., David (Rachel) of Hoyt, Cassandra (William) Tripoli, of Rostraver
Township, Penn., Dannie, of Smith Center, Kris (Mallory) of Salina, and
Tim (fiancé Kelly Burkhart) of Overland Park. Eight great-grandchildren,
Brea, Avonelle, Martel and Victoria of Claremore, Okla., and Taylor,
Claire, and Myles, of Hoyt and Madison of Salina. He is also survived by
a sister, Norma of Greenville, S.C. and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings, Shirley, Ronnie, and Gary.
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