My parents, Morris Darlington Mixson and Barbara Junior Mixson
1967
David, Larry, Brenda and Beth in Front

Morris Darlington Mixson, the son of Wilbur and Roslie Mixson, was born on August 24, 1926 in Micanopy Florida, died August 15, 2020 in Gainesville Florida.   Morris married Barbara Junior on December 1, 1950.   Barbara is the daughter of Fred and Waive Junior.  They have four children: Brenda Gay, Larry Morris, David Fred and Beth Sue. 

As a child, Morris attend  Reddick High school and at the age of 83 still attend yearly Reddick reunions.   In 1944, Morris turned 18 and joined the Navy before graduating from high school.  In the Navy Morris served on the USS Montgomery (LST-1041) while it traveled to Guam, Okinawa and other places until the war ended when the ship, and Morris, returned to the US (see full story here).  

After returning from the war, he met  Barbara Junior in 1948 at Flemington Baptist church where Barbara's Father, Fred Junior, was the minister.  Their love for each other grew over the next two years described their Love Letters.

Morris worked at the University of Florida Chemistry Department from 1948 until he retired forty one years later in 1989.  (Listen to Morris as he talks about his experience here) After the children were older in 1964, Barbara also started to work at the University working her way up with her final years as the head administrative assistant in the Physics department retiring with Morris in 1989 (read more in Barbara's journal).   One of Barbara's most memorable moments at was having her photo taken with Sally Field who was visiting her brother who was a professor in the department.

Morris and Barbara loved to travel.   For summer vacations the family would travel to the beach, go camping or go to the mountains in North Carolina for a week.  After the kids were all grown and out of the house, Morris and Barbara had a series of RVs ranging in size from camper van to full blown RV.   After many years of travels though out the US they did extended 88 day adventure from Florida to Alaska and back (see Barbara & Morris's Trip to Alaska).