Morris Ghere, 104, of Centralia passed away Friday, March 25, 2022, at Carlyle Healthcare Center. Morris was a member of the New Harmony Baptist Church since 1945 and had a deep love and appreciation for his church. He was never a stranger to hard work and was best known in the Centralia area as a body shop repairman, where he got his start at the early age of 14. He had a gift of inventing and was known as the original creator of the Yazoo Lawnmower. He brought forgotten pianos back to life by restoring them to their original beauty. On one of the pianos he restored, “Big Bertha” he made the feature to run the air hoses and pipes to make the sounds of the snare and base drums, tambourine, wooden flute pipes, triangle, and cymbal play, making it a one-man band. The Centralia Historical Museum holds many more of his impressive inventions and currently has them on display. Morris had a love for fishing, tinkering, inventing, and he enjoyed challenging his mind. He was known for his beautifully manicured lawn and was the first to help anyone in the neighborhood that needed help mowing their yard. He was proud to be a Grandpa to all his cherished grandchildren. Morris will be remembered for his kindness to all, his inventor’s mind, and love for his family.
A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at the Irvin Macz Funeral Home in Centralia with Rev. Dwain DePew officiating. Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Centralia. Friends are welcome to a visitation time from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service on Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made in Morris’ honor to Hospice of Southern Illinois. Online condolences and memories of Morris may be shared with the family at www.maczfunrealhomes.com and/or on the funeral home’s Facebook page.
Survivors include his beloved family, children Darrell Eugene Ghere of Nashville, Indiana; Joe Thomas Ghere of Cortez, Colorado, Neva Louise DePew and husband Dwain of Carlyle; 11 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren; sister Avis Lee Simmons of Irvington; and several nieces and nephews.
He was born on July 3, 1917, the son of Samuel Jesse and Nancy Elizabeth (Thompson) Ghere in Elco, Illinois. He married the love of his life Doris Ruth McRoy on June 9, 1940, in Missouri and she preceded him in death on February 21, 2013. Mr. Ghere was preceded in death by his parents Samuel and Nancy Ghere; brothers Wilburn Ghere, and Willis Ghere; sister Laura Mae Seiber; daughter Garnita Henson and husband Ed; granddaughter Tammy Jasper; and half-brothers Glenn Ghere, Lawrence Ghere, Charles Ghere, and Jack Ghere.
