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The Farm of Ralph and Lulu (Pulis) Morley
The Farm of Ralph and Lulu (Pulis) Morley

by Charles B. Woodruff
Last Update: 5 August 2008

This is a collection of photographs of the farm and family members of Ralph Stanley Morley (1887-1971) and his wife, Lulu May Pulis (1891-1972). They lived on their 123 acre farm located on Route 79 about a mile from North Colesville (Tunnel), Broome County, New York, from 1917 until they sold it in 1964. More detailed information on the Morley family may be found posted at my family history website.

The Land, Buildings, and Family

The Morley farm as seen from Route 79.
Photograph probably taken in the 1940s.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Marjorie Craig, unknown, Donald Morley, Lulu Morley, and Bill Morley at the back corner of their house.
Photograph probably taken in the early 1940s.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Ralph Morley sitting on his front porch at his farm on Route 79 near Tunnel, New York, with son, Stanley (left) sometime in the 1940s.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Ralph Morley in the doorway of the shed near their house
that was used as an airplane observation post during World War II.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Ralph and Lulu Morley in front of the barn on January 15, 1949.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Lulu Morley and her granddaughters, Jean and Joan Craig
by the front porch of the Morley house in the late 1940s.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Shirley Morley and her nieces, Joan and Jean Craig
by the front porch of the Morley house in August 1949.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Shirley Morley on the front porch of the Morley house in probably the late 1940s.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Lulu and Shirley Morley up by the barn looking toward back side of the Morley house
in September 1949.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Grace (Morley) Nitchke and her niece, Shirley Morley, next to the twin ponds in front of the Morley house
in probably the late 1940s.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Grace (Morley) Nitchke and her brother, Ralph Morley, by the woodshed at the back of the house.
Ralph's 1949 Nash is in the driveway.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Shirley Morley in front of the barn with Ralph Morley up working on the roof in 1950.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Shirley Morley next to Bryce Woodruff's 1949 Hudson Super 6 coupe.
Photo was taken at the back of her parents' house
on Route 79 near Tunnel, Broome County, New York, in about 1952.
I have the original photo.

Marjorie (Morley) Craig holding her niece, Patty Morley, in the front yard, in about 1952.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Shirley Morley at the corner of the Morley house on her wedding day, June 28, 1952.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Bryce and Shirley (Morley) Woodruff with niece, Jean Craig, in the back yard in July 1952.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Bryce Woodruff with pup in the back yard in the 1950s.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Shirley and Bryce Woodruff with son, Charles, in the back yard in 1955.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

A 1951 Hudson Hornet sedan in front of the Morley barn during the winter of 1956/57.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Bryce Woodruff's 1955 Chevrolet parked next to the woodshed
at the back of the Morley house in early 1962.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Donald Morley's 1957 Plymouth parked next to the garage in early 1962.
Original photo in the possession of Shirley (Morley) Woodruff.

Christmas at the Farm

Christmas dinner in the dining room in the late 1940s.
(from left)Virginia Morley, Verna and Stanley Morley, and Ralph Morley (at head of table)
(foreground)Joan Craig, Ragnar Wagner, Marian and Ole Wagner.
Notice the radio in the corner behind Verna and Stanley.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Christmas dinner in the dining room in the late 1940s.
(clockwise from lower left)Virginia Morley, Ragnar Wagner, Marjorie Craig, Lulu Morley,
Verna (with baby) and Stanley Morley, and Ralph Morley (at head of table)
(right foreground)Marian and Ole Wagner, Ruth Greendyke (helper for Marian), and Shirley Morley.
Door to the "courtroom" is at left rear of photo.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

The dining room at Christmas as seen from the living room in the late 1940s.
(from left)Lulu, Barbara, and Stanley Morley.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Ralph and Lulu Morley in their dining room at Christmas in the late 1940s.
His chair faced the radio so he could listen to the news.
The photo on the wall is of Ralph when he was younger.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Inside the House

Shirley and Bill Morley in front of the piano in the living room in the late 1940s.
Lulu Morley played the piano. The piano came from New York City.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Lulu Morley and her daughter, Marian Wagner in the living room in the late 1940s.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Shirley, Bill, and Lulu Morley, Ole and Marian Wagner, and Marjorie Craig in the living room in the late 1940s.
The double doors behind the couch led to the downstairs bedroom where Ralph and Lulu slept.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

The Farm Today

Shirley (Morley) Woodruff and her grandson, Sean Woodruff,
in front of the old Morley house during its renovation.
Photograph was taken on September 30, 2001.

Sean and Shirley (Morley) Woodruff in front of the old Morley garage,
the last outbuilding still standing on the Morley farm.
Stanley Morley told me that he and his father, Ralph, built the garage
when he was a kid in probably the late 1920s.
Photograph was taken on September 30, 2001.

Shirley (Morley) Woodruff in the driveway of the old Morley farm looking toward the twin ponds and Route 79.
Photograph was taken on September 30, 2001.

Ralph and Lulu (Pulis) Morley and Their Family

Ralph Stanley MORLEY was born 19 Aug 1887 in Hancock, Delaware County, New York, and died 25 Dec 1971 in Johnson City, Broome County, New York. He was buried 29 Dec 1971 in Glenwood Cemetery, Afton, Chenango County, New York. He was the son of Horace H. MORLEY (1857-1955) and Grace A. MAYBEE (1857-1889).

Postcard of the U. S. S. Des Moines,
the ship Ralph Morley served on as a coal passer and an oiler from 1907 to 1911, while in the Navy.
I have the original postcard.

Lulu May PULIS was born 28 Mar 1891 in Lestershire, Broome County, New York, and died 23 Oct 1972 in Johnson City, Broome County, New York. She was buried 25 Oct 1972 in Glenwood Cemetery, Afton, Chenango County, New York. She was the daughter of Oscar Mortimer PULIS (1854-1935) and Euphemia Walker FAATZ (1859-1947).

Lulu Pulis in about 1911.
Original photo in the possession of Ralph "Bill" Morley.

Children of Lulu May PULIS and Ralph Stanley MORLEY are:

i. Marian Deloris Euphemia MORLEY was born 14 Oct 1912 in New York, and died 22 Oct 1955 in Binghamton, Broome County, New York. She married Ole Rudolph WAGNER 27 May 1936 in Sanitaria Springs, Broome County, New York. He was born 30 Apr 1904 in Norway, and died 22 Jan 1957 in Binghamton, Broome County, New York.
ii. Stanley Oscar MORLEY was born 6 June 1914 in Afton, Chenango County, New York and died 31 July 2008 in Cortland, Cortland County, New York. He married Verna Irva CURTIS in Tunnel, Broome County, New York. She was born 17 Sep 1921 and died 11 Jan 2004 in Cortland, Cortland County, New York.
iii. Marjorie Grace MORLEY was born 20 Dec 1916 in New York, and died 10 Oct 1997 in Port Crane, Broome County, New York. She married and later divorced Hillis Reynoles CRAIG. He was born 10 Apr 1911, and died 15 Mar 1997.
iv. Ralph Pulis MORLEY. He was always called "Bill." He was born 15 Apr 1919 near Tunnel, Broome County, New York and died 19 May 2008 in Westminster, California. He married Virginia May BILES. She was born 24 Sep 1929 in New York, and died 25 Dec 1987 in Los Angeles, California. He then married and later divorced Madeline Dorothy DAVALL.
v. Donald Maxwell MORLEY was born 20 Apr 1923 near Tunnel, Broome County, New York. He died 25 Jul 2007 in Binghamton, Broome County, New York. He married Joann P. MOORE. She was born 26 Jan 1943 and died 9 Aug 2003 in Port Crane, Broome County, New York.
vi. Shirley Charlene MORLEY. She married Bryce Levi WOODRUFF, son of Claude Howard WOODRUFF and Dorothy Helen ACE. He was born 11 May 1927 in West Auburn, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, and died 5 Nov 1998 in Schenectady, Schenectady County, New York.

Here are some of my favorite websites:

RootsWeb.com (free genealogical site).
Ancestry.Com (genealogical site).
Mormon Genealogical Research Site.
Cyndi's List of over 129,000 Genealogical Sites.
Find a Grave Website.
Cemetery Transcription Library.
"From Cemetery to Tree" Mary Jean's Susquehanna County, PA Genealogy Sites.
Binghamton (NY) Press.

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This page belongs to Charles B. Woodruff.