Arizona Shooting Victims Were 'Very Devoted' High School Sweethearts

Don and JoAnn Newland met their neighbors George and Dorothy Morris when the couple moved to their Oro Valley, Ariz. retirement community in the late 1990s.

"They were our neighbors," JoAnn Newland told HuffPost on Monday. "We would see them at the mailbox and we would talk."

Dorothy Morris, 76, was one of six people killed Saturday by a crazed gunman at a "Congress on the Corner" event hosted by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). George Morris is still in the hospital after reportedly suffering gunshots to the chest and leg.

The Newlands said that one of the Morrises' daughters stopped by to pick up a key to their house after the shooting. At the hospital, Don Newland said, George Morris, a former Marine, was well enough to talk about what happened with his daughter.

"During that conversation George revealed to his daughter that when he heard a 'pop pop' noise he threw Dot to the ground," Newland said. He thought it sounded like Morris tried to shield his wife.

"Because his wound was in his left shoulder and went downward past his lungs...the gunman had to be shooting at him while he [George] was in a prone position. That's just my take on how his wound occurred. I have not heard that from anybody else."

The Morrises grew up in Reno, Nev., and were high school sweethearts.

"They were a very devoted couple," neighbor Sue Blinman told HuffPost. "It really brings home that life is very precious. We have to try and let our loved ones and neighbors and friends know how much they are loved and how much we care about them because they can be taken away in a flash."

"Everything they did was together," neighbor Bill Royle told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "So this is going to be very devastating for George."

In the flurry of media coverage following the shooting, JoAnn Newland said, "It seems like the prominent people get all the attention but these families have suffered a lot as well."

The Morrises invited the Newlands and the Blinmans to their 50th wedding anniversary five years ago.

"They renewed their vows at that party, in a garden setting," JoAnn Newland said. "They had a dinner and danced. I remember seeing them dancing together and just looking at each other. They were very devoted."

Comments

[CajunSpectre]

11:57 PM on 01/10/2011

My heart and sympathies go out to the families of all of the victims of this senseless tragedy and I hope for a quick recovery for those that were wounded on Saturday.

[phantom65]

10:38 PM on 01/10/2011

God Bless this family and especially George who tried in vain to save his life partner. So sad for the loss of such innocent people.

[its miller time]

09:29 PM on 01/10/2011

Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.


Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.


He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last fore ever: I was wrong.


The stars are not wanted now; put out every one:
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep upt the woods:
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

[DnDCfromChi-town]

08:02 PM on 01/10/2011

55 years married and still did EVERYTHING together. How beautiful! i pray my husband and i are equally blessed. God bless all the victims and their families.

[ber6964]

08:01 PM on 01/10/2011

Thousands of comments on stories about Palin, limbaugh, beck.So few have come to pay repects here. Sad really!

[steve11407]

07:58 PM on 01/10/2011

I visualize my parents. Same age. My heart hurts.

[ber6964]

07:55 PM on 01/10/2011

My condolences to the family and saying a prayer for the surviving spouse.

[davisrbd]

07:32 PM on 01/10/2011

sad-bless them all

[bernikitty]

07:06 PM on 01/10/2011

this just gets sadder and sadder, i hope mr. morris will find comfort in his family and in the knowledge that we grieve with him.

[Henry Hudson]

05:16 PM on 01/10/2011

Doesn't anybody at HP know how to use photoshop to fix the image of Dorothy Morris... Your suppose to be professionals, fix the ratio aspect

[TechYes]

05:11 PM on 01/10/2011

Another man who risked his life trying to save his wife from this senseless tragedy. Their story seems worlds apart from all the politicians and others trying to cover their backsides and make this a story about themselves. Yet, here again is a another example of the everyday kindness, caring - and heroism - of ordinary Americans. These are the people who should and deserve to be at the center of this story. Godspeed, Mrs. Morris. My deepest sympathies go out to Mrs. Morris's family and all those who loved her.

[Pinkasaurus]

05:18 PM on 01/10/2011

What a beautiful comment! You are right on with everything you said.

[TechYes]

05:25 PM on 01/10/2011

Very much obliged.

[HotChocolateParty]

06:35 PM on 01/10/2011

Nice post

[TechYes]

07:24 PM on 01/10/2011

Thank you.

[Jazzineva]

05:08 PM on 01/10/2011

I'm glad the stories about the 3 retirees who were killed are being posted here. I've understood from elsewhere that the two older women who died were Republicans and very kind. All of them seem to be very nice wholesome folks - caring, loving. Agree that they haven't received enough attention.

[AZterritory]

06:38 PM on 01/10/2011

I think I'd rather we just start referring to people as Arizonans, Americans or (be still my heart), plain old human beings. It's a small precious planet, and we're here for such a short time.

[TechYes]

07:24 PM on 01/10/2011

Hear, hear!

[cuteaspie]

04:53 PM on 01/10/2011

How come John McCain has been so silent on this issue?

[BreezyinVA]

05:01 PM on 01/10/2011

He caused SP to arrive and never leave. He is culpable. Funny how he has nothing to say about his own state.

[Steamboater]

05:44 PM on 01/10/2011

Actually, it's not very funny at all. McCain sholud be ashamed to have not issued a pubic statement on this, but the man has no shame.

[HotChocolateParty]

06:36 PM on 01/10/2011

He is an appalling figure

[Joe Adamski]

05:31 PM on 01/10/2011

I'm deeply saddened and shocked at the tragedy that has taken place in my home state of Arizona. The shooting of Congresswoman Giffords and the deaths of other individuals is a terrible tragedy and one that has shocked me and our nation." -- U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

what I don't expect him to say? That if gun control laws are too lax,and AZs nonregulation for concealed handguns needs reexamination. That the 'free speech' enjoyed by pundits needs some regulation.
McCains base in AZ would rise up against him if he even suggested reform of gun or speech issues. So don't count on much more than what he has said already.

[HotChocolateParty]

06:36 PM on 01/10/2011

Is that it?

[steve11407]

04:35 PM on 01/10/2011

I can only hope that the shooter in his cell reflects on just what he has done. His lone selfish act has taken from people who had a lifetime to cherish and one who had a lifetime to aspire to.

[ZDuck]

04:28 PM on 01/10/2011

And the sad part is that the hate group the Westboro Church will be at this lovely woman's funeral.

[steve11407]

04:30 PM on 01/10/2011

I trust the locals and others will keep them out of sight as has started to happen elsewhere

[HotChocolateParty]

06:37 PM on 01/10/2011

I wouldn't stand for their cr.ap

[Patrick Shaw]

04:48 PM on 01/10/2011

Why can't these people have a TLC reality show ?

They are like the storm chasers of doom.