Mary Josephine Morrison was born on October 16th, 1863 in Cordova, LeSueur, Minnesota. She went by the name Josephine for her entire life.

Josephine lived at home until the time of her marriage on January 18th, 1889 to Myron Henry Van Vleet (Hank). At that time, she and her new husband moved to a nearby farm, where they started their family. In the late 1890's, the Morrison family moved away from LeSueur County. Some of Josephine's brothers and sisters moved to northern Minnesota, in Crow Wing County. Another sister moved to Canada, and at least one brother, Charles, moved West to Ritzville, Adams, Washington. Josephine and Hank moved to Meeker County in central Minnesota.

Soon after their move, their daughter, Lucy, was born. She lived for only four months after her birth. She was buried in what was then called the "Forest Prairie Cemetery" near Eden Valley. This cemetery, after years of neglect, was recently cleaned up, and returned to a respectful state. It is now called the Pioneer Cemetery.

After the birth of their youngest son, Walter, in 1901, the family moved again. Josephine's brother had moved to Washington. Hank's older brother, Charles, was living with his family in Idaho, and his sister, Mary Van Vleet Bardwell, was living near Ritzville, Washington with her family. Hank and Josephine decided to move out west to join them, and did so in 1901. They purchased land near Ritzville, and Hank and his brother, Charles, started a wheat farm.

Shortly after their arrival in Washington, Josephine's mother, Mary Ellen, joined them. She did not like living there, and made her objections known. In December of 1905, Hank and Josephine sold their land and returned to Minnesota. They returned to Meeker County, this time settling a few miles east of where they had been earlier, just south of Kimball, on the Stearns County line.

There, Josephine and Hank lived out their remaining years, until Josephine's death on November 13th, 1925.

According to Luva Brown, Josephine's granddaughter, Josephine was a petite woman. The merchants in Kingston and Kimball remember her because she had such small feet, and they would often sell her the display models because no one else could wear them.

Sources:

1. Federal Census: 1870; 1880; 1900; 1910; 1920
   
2. MN State Census: 1865; 1875; 1885; 1895; 1905
   
3. Marriage Record: LeSueur County
   
4. Death Record: Stearns County
   
5. Grave Marker
   
6. Land Records: Adams County, Washington
   
7. Luva Brown Wilson: Granddaughter