Martha Morton is Courting

[freethemall]

This has been my first introduction to the Morton family and I just spent 20+ minutes skimming through the Morton Clan blog (I'm procrastinating from getting ready for work!). Someone mentioned this and it's so true - the blog is written in such a weird way, like trying as hard as possible to sound conversational in a way that tells me they make some awkward awkward conversation. Does that make sense?

Can someone fill me in a little more - who actually writes the blog (do we have a SAHD Sarah Maxwell situation?) and show me one or two posts that highlight their ridiculousness. Thanks in advance!

[buttercup]

Oh man. I sort of want to hug Addie. Not being married off to a teenager when you're twenty is a GOOD thing, but I bet she feels like crap right now. And I bet she'll be at home, cleaning and cooking and missing her sisters at least til all the younger boys are married off. Free Adeline?

[buttercup]

This has been my first introduction to the Morton family and I just spent 20+ minutes skimming through the Morton Clan blog (I'm procrastinating from getting ready for work!). Someone mentioned this and it's so true - the blog is written in such a weird way, like trying as hard as possible to sound conversational in a way that tells me they make some awkward awkward conversation. Does that make sense?

Can someone fill me in a little more - who actually writes the blog (do we have a SAHD Sarah Maxwell situation?) and show me one or two posts that highlight their ridiculousness. Thanks in advance!

The blog is 90% written by Adeline, who is 21/22 and the middle daughter of the Mortons. The older two girls, Katie and Dorothy, are married already. Addie's been writing the blog for a couple of years now, with occasional guest appearances by other Mortons. Addie... is a special little duckling. She thinks she's a character in a Jane Austen novel, but, you know, wordier. Her posts often point out some of the racism and cultural insensitivity that must run rampant in the Morton household.

Someone better than me can correct the order, but the Mortons children are:

Michael - Married to Kressant Smith

Wesley - Married to Rachel Smith

Cleve - Married to Lise (not Smith).

Katie - Married to Alan Smith

Dorothy - Married to Noah Sanders

Adeline

Martha

a gaggle of younger boys - Sam, Paul, Edwin and maybe another.

The first three Morton children to marry (Michael, Wes, Katie) married siblings from the same family. Michael and Wes live on the compound with Kressant and Rachel; Katie and Alan seem to live relatively nearby. Dorothy lives with the Sanders family, and Cleve and Lise are a bit of a question mark at the moment.

Anyway, I do feel for Addie. She is going to lonely without Martha.. Rachel and Kressant are probably busier than they can imagine with their own broods of children. I think Rachel has four and Kressant six?

[freethemall]

The blog is 90% written by Adeline, who is 21/22 and the middle daughter of the Mortons. The older two girls, Katie and Dorothy, are married already. Addie's been writing the blog for a couple of years now, with occasional guest appearances by other Mortons. Addie... is a special little duckling. She thinks she's a character in a Jane Austen novel, but, you know, wordier. Her posts often point out some of the racism and cultural insensitivity that must run rampant in the Morton household.

Someone better than me can correct the order, but the Mortons children are:

Michael - Married to Kressant Smith

Wesley - Married to Rachel Smith

Cleve - Married to Lise (not Smith).

Katie - Married to Alan Smith

Dorothy - Married to Noah Sanders

Adeline

Martha

a gaggle of younger boys - Sam, Paul, Edwin and maybe another.

The first three Morton children to marry (Michael, Wes, Katie) married siblings from the same family. Michael and Wes live on the compound with Kressant and Rachel; Katie and Alan seem to live relatively nearby. Dorothy lives with the Sanders family, and Cleve and Lise are a bit of a question mark at the moment.

Anyway, I do feel for Addie. She is going to lonely without Martha.. Rachel and Kressant are probably busier than they can imagine with their own broods of children. I think Rachel has four and Kressant six?

This is EXACTLY what I was looking for, thank you so much!

So Addie is a SAHD on the way to Old Maid-hood then isn't she? It seems if her siblings have all been married off around 18 and she's 22 then something is happening there if they've hitched up Martha first.

Oh, and I saw that "betrothal" ceremony Wes and Rachel had - is that basically a public proposal? A planned proposal they all knew about (including Rachel) and then invited everyone to come over and watch? Again, weird.

And the thing about being married to the same siblings....that is jut beyond weird.

[Jana814]

I went through their blog. Their is a picture of all the siblings. (W/o the spouses). I thought the daughter w/ 6 kids is the oldest. (Cause she was first in the line of siblings).

[Jana814]

Interesting that 3 of the siblings married another set of 3 siblings. I wonder if that happens a lot in Fundie families.

[lexiloumarie]

I went through their blog. Their is a picture of all the siblings. (W/o the spouses). I thought the daughter w/ 6 kids is the oldest. (Cause she was first in the line of siblings).

Katie Smith is the oldest of the Morton kids, and pregnant with her 7th based on recent pictures. She doesn't live on the family farm. Kressant (Smith) Morton has been married as long, and keeps pace pretty well on kids. She's pregnant with her 6th.

Alan Smith and Katie Morton - (April 2006)

--

Brett Alan III

Ronald Michael

Catherine Esther

Wallace Johnson

Anna Grace

Elizabeth Rose

#7

Michael Beveridge Morton Jr. and Kressant Amanda Smith - (September 2006)

--

Michael Beveridge III

Carlos Phineas

Jonathan DeWet

Isabella Grace

Byron Zizka

#6

William Cleveland Morton and Lise Marie Kendall - ( December 2011)

-------

William Cleveland Jr

#2

Wesley Morton (March 1989) and Rachel Lea Smith (July 1989) - (September 2007)

--

Joseph Wesley

William Stone

Ariana Grace

Luke Anthony

Noah Sanders (Sep 1988) and Dorothy Morton (Feb. 1990) - (July 2010)

----

Enoch Timothy

#2

Danny Lane and Bethany Lynn Smith (21- Jan. 1991) - (Jan 2012)

----

Lewis Daniel

Lynnora Jean

[sunshine]

There are people in the south whether they have a biblical idea behind it or not do continue with the trend of young marriages. City folk may think it is weird. I know a couple that married. The girl was 16 at the time and the boy was 18 or 19. They are still married today. So when young people see examples of that, they want to do so as well.

People who enter in the military young tend marry as well. Maybe they want to avoid loneliness, they are really in love or believe they can support a family off a military salary.

[Jana814]

Katie Smith is the oldest of the Morton kids, and pregnant with her 7th based on recent pictures. She doesn't live on the family farm. Kressant (Smith) Morton has been married as long, and keeps pace pretty well on kids. She's pregnant with her 6th.

Alan Smith and Katie Morton - (April 2006)

--

Brett Alan III

Ronald Michael

Catherine Esther

Wallace Johnson

Anna Grace

Elizabeth Rose

#7

Michael Beveridge Morton Jr. and Kressant Amanda Smith - (September 2006)

--

Michael Beveridge III

Carlos Phineas

Jonathan DeWet

Isabella Grace

Byron Zizka

#6

William Cleveland Morton and Lise Marie Kendall - ( December 2011)

-------

William Cleveland Jr

#2

Wesley Morton (March 1989) and Rachel Lea Smith (July 1989) - (September 2007)

--

Joseph Wesley

William Stone

Ariana Grace

Luke Anthony

Noah Sanders (Sep 1988) and Dorothy Morton (Feb. 1990) - (July 2010)

----

Enoch Timothy

#2

Danny Lane and Bethany Lynn Smith (21- Jan. 1991) - (Jan 2012)

----

Lewis Daniel

Lynnora Jean

Thanks!!

[acheronbeach]

How does one pronounce, "Tayte"? Is it a kreeaytive spelling of Tate? Is it something more akin to the famous Irish potato chip brand, "Tayto"?

For a treat, we took Sarah to the laundry mat with us.

What kind of 20 year old thinks the place you wash your clothes is called the "laundry mat"? I hope that's some kind of bad joke, because if not, that level of ignorance is pretty appalling...

[Kira]

This is EXACTLY what I was looking for, thank you so much!

So Addie is a SAHD on the way to Old Maid-hood then isn't she? It seems if her siblings have all been married off around 18 and she's 22 then something is happening there if they've hitched up Martha first.

Oh, and I saw that "betrothal" ceremony Wes and Rachel had - is that basically a public proposal? A planned proposal they all knew about (including Rachel) and then invited everyone to come over and watch? Again, weird.

And the thing about being married to the same siblings....that is jut beyond weird.

Katie was married at 22/23

Michael 22

Wesley 18

Dorothy 20

Cleve 26

[Savoring Samsara]

How does one pronounce, "Tayte"? Is it a kreeaytive spelling of Tate? Is it something more akin to the famous Irish potato chip brand, "Tayto"?

What kind of 20 year old thinks the place you wash your clothes is called the "laundry mat"? I hope that's some kind of bad joke, because if not, that level of ignorance is pretty appalling...

I think it might be partly a regional/dialect thing. One of my bandmates, born and raised in rural Minnesota, also always says "laundry mat" despite any and all efforts to correct him.

[AKay]

I got married at a quite young age (21), and yet somehow 18 is just mind-boggling to me. Of course my husband and I had been dating for 4 years by the time we got married. And by 18 I had already been living on my own at college for a year, so I would have been arguably more prepared for it than any of these kids.

[Kira]

Oh man. I sort of want to hug Addie. Not being married off to a teenager when you're twenty is a GOOD thing, but I bet she feels like crap right now. And I bet she'll be at home, cleaning and cooking and missing her sisters at least til all the younger boys are married off. Free Adeline?

I think Adeline will be married off soon. She will not be another Sarah Maxwell.

[erunerune]

I think Martha is going to have a "normal" wedding, like Dorothy and Cleve. I also think Smiths are partly responsible for all of the weird weddings.

I tend to concur that the Smiths are guilty as charged for bringing the weird in the first three sibling weddings. But remember when Bethany (Smith) Lane got married (4th Smith child to wed)? Her wedding looked pretty modern and un-freaky, with a mainstream, albeit unrevealing dress, and a fun-looking photo booth in the mix. Not a foot-washing to be seen, and no strange horns were blown for those in attendance. Just a cute, modern, run-of-the-mill wedding. I bet Cap'n Bret was disappointed tho.

I wonder if her siblings maybe told her privately that they might have done things differently? Or if her sense of aesthetics was offended strongly enough by the first few that she put her foot down and demanded normalcy and cuteness for all?

[lexiloumarie]

I tend to concur that the Smiths are guilty as charged for bringing the weird in the first three sibling weddings. But remember when Bethany (Smith) Lane got married (4th Smith child to wed)? Her wedding looked pretty modern and un-freaky, with a mainstream, albeit unrevealing dress, and a fun-looking photo booth in the mix. Not a foot-washing to be seen, and no strange horns were blown for those in attendance. Just a cute, modern, run-of-the-mill wedding. I bet Cap'n Bret was disappointed tho.

I wonder if her siblings maybe told her privately that they might have done things differently? Or if her sense of aesthetics was offended strongly enough by the first few that she put her foot down and demanded normalcy and cuteness for all?

I think Pa Morton and Capt'n Brett brought out the weird in each other. The Kendalls, Lanes, and Sanders are all mainstream VF which probably influenced the weddings. The Mortons seem to long for some sort of Victorian/Edwardian hybrid, and the Smiths are just kinda crazy.

[darkplumaged]

I think Adeline will be married off soon. She will not be another Sarah Maxwell.

I agree. The Mortons are all about gettin' married.

"Laundry mat" is something an ex-boyfriend of mine would have said. He's a smart guy, college grad, but seemed to take pride in sounding uneducated.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

Ok what's wrong with laundry mat? That's what I've always heard is said as in Australia. Are we doing it wrong ;)

[1004srs]

Before I got my washer, I took our clothes to the laundry mat. I have quite a bit of education. Is laundry mat wrong?

Edited because of a sticky keyboard....

[erunerune]

(Laundromat)

But people know what you are talking about either way so it's all good.

[thekate]

Laundry mat is a corruption* of the trademark "[link=http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/Our_Company/history/Timeline/1940_1979.shtm]Laundromat[/link]." It's been genericized like Kleenex or BandAid.

*technical term, not a value statement

[erunerune]

Laundry mat is a corruption* of the trademark "[link=http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/Our_Company/history/Timeline/1940_1979.shtm]Laundromat[/link]." It's been genericized like Kleenex or BandAid.

*technical term, not a value statement

This.

[JustAnotherMaiden]

Wesley's full name is Joseph Wesley Morton, so his son is a Jr. too. So far Noah is the only one who didn't name his son after himself.

I think most of these families were into the Victorian thing and were about promoting betrothal and their own version of patriarchy and modesty more then than they are now. The Sanders old blog showed the same dress and rhetoric in 2006-2008. I used to follow the McDonalds and Serven blogs too and I think the same can be said about their circles. I think Martha will have a wedding similar to Dorothy and Bethany.

[HereticHick]

Mounts soapbox--

Many Americans (and Canadians and Australians) say "Laundrymat" or "Laundromat." Laundromat was a trademarked term of the Westinghouse Corporation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Edward_Pendray).

It is, in my experience, NOT an indication of our "ignorance."

--Dismounts soapbox.

[sparrow]

I tend to concur that the Smiths are guilty as charged for bringing the weird in the first three sibling weddings. But remember when Bethany (Smith) Lane got married (4th Smith child to wed)? Her wedding looked pretty modern and un-freaky, with a mainstream, albeit unrevealing dress, and a fun-looking photo booth in the mix. Not a foot-washing to be seen, and no strange horns were blown for those in attendance. Just a cute, modern, run-of-the-mill wedding. I bet Cap'n Bret was disappointed tho.

I wonder if her siblings maybe told her privately that they might have done things differently? Or if her sense of aesthetics was offended strongly enough by the first few that she put her foot down and demanded normalcy and cuteness for all?

Oh PLEASE tell me there are links available to said weddings. I must see this.