Cheryl Morris

LOCAL
IINNSSIIDDEE
Obituaries / B2
Newsliners / B2
SSEECCTTIIOONN
BSunday,
July 24, 2016
The Times Leader
G Longtime
Gable fan
visits museum
By TIFFANY BUMGARDNER
Times Leader Staff Writer
CADIZ — Residents of
Cadiz have long had the oppor-
tunity to learn about locally
born film star Clack Gable dur-
ing visits to the museum dedi-
cated to him. For many other
fans, however, it is a dream to
visit the birthplace of the
famous actor.
“This little town here that
you all might take for granted
houses something very, very
special,” said Cheryl Morris, a
longtime Clark Gable fan. “As a
very busy movie fan out there,
this spot is coveted by so many
people who would love to be
here.”
Morris had no idea what was
in store for her when she
climbed into the car in Canton,
Ohio, on Wednesday morning.
She had assumed that she and
her family were going to lunch
at a nearby lake, but her hus-
band had different plans. Morris
figured out what those plans
were when she saw the “Wel-
come to Cadiz,” and she said
she started “bawling her eyes
out” as she realized just where
they were heading.
For her, it was a childhood
dream come true to visit
Gable’s hometown. She had
developed a love of old movies
when she was in high school,
which is when she became a fan
and came to love the late star of
stage and film.
Morris, herself, has a storied
history as a vocalist. She is best
known by her stage name
Cheryl Morris, but her legal
name is Cheryl Monteiro-Par-
Due. In high school, she joined
the musicians’ union and began
getting auditions with orches-
tras, where she would eventual-
ly work with Harry James, who
some believe to be the world’s
greatest trumpet player.
The Harry James Orchestra
was the first to hire vocalist
Frank Sinatra in 1939, and
Morris was the last singer to be
personally hired by Harry James
himself.
“It was an incredible time,”
said Morris. “I worked with so
many legends — Harry James,
Tex Beneke, Ray McKinley and
Orrin Tucker. When the big
movie stars were going to have a
party they didn’t get a rock band,
they hired an orchestra which
had a girl and sometimes a boy
sing for the celebrities, and that
is what I did,” she recalled.
“I was raised around all the
hoopla and excitement,” said
Morris, who used to live just 15
miles from Hollywood and
whose grandmother use to dress
Carole Lombard and Mae West.
As a child, Morris participated
in the Screen Actors Guild and
did little bit parts for TV dra-
mas and sitcoms. Although she
admits her brother did more act-
ing than she did, she said she
still has her old “look books”
from her agency with her pic-
tures in them alongside the likes
of Shelly Fabrare and Paul
Petersen.
“I had so many tie-ins to
Clark Gable, either people who
I knew such as Doris Day, who
I was good friends with, or
through people I used to work
with all the time,” added Mor-
ris. “I have been a movie collec-
tor and fan my whole life, and
in Clark Gable there was an
every-man quality about him
that others didn’t have. There
was something about him that
transcended all the stardom and
moviedom because he was truly
one of us.”
On the lower level of the
Clark Gable Museum, Morris’s
husband, Chuck, managed to
talk her into performing the
song “You Made Me Love
You,” which was Harry James’
hit back in the 1940s when it
was in the Top 10. As a vocalist
for Harry James, Morris would
sing the very same song to a
framed portrait of Clark Gable,
and her performance at the
Clark Gable Museum provided
the same opportunity for her
again.
On Wednesday morning,
Morris’ childhood dream came
true with a visit to the Clark
Gable Museum and a trip down
memory lane to the good ole’
days. For those seeking the
same path to stardom as Gable
and Morris, she has this advice:
“Take chances in life. You have
to have faith. You have to get
out there into nature and life —
don’t be afraid.”
By SHELLEY HANSON
Times Leader Staff Writer
MARTINS FERRY — The
annual Betty Zane Days Commu-
nity Festival, slated Aug. 2-6 at
City Park, will include carnival
rides, food, games, a firefighters’
parade and much more.
It will also feature the ever-
popular Martins Ferry Lions
Club’s Dunk Tank to give adults
and children a chance to get their
favorite school and county offi-
cials all wet.
Meanwhile, Martins Ferry Vol-
unteer Fire Department Chief
Mike Reese said the VFD is seek-
ing donations from businesses to
help put on the festival, noting
the entertainment alone costs
about $3,000 annually.
“We are asking for any size
donation that you can afford to
help offset the cost of the festi-
val,” Reese said in his letter to
businesses. “Your donation will
allow us to put on a great festival
for the community to enjoy.”
Donations for the festival can
be mailed to MFVFD, P.O. Box
68, Martins Ferry, OH 43935.
For more information, call Reese
at 740-296-0115.
The Friday, Aug. 5, Dunk
Tank lineup includes:
∫ 7 p.m. — Martins Ferry
City Schools Superintendent Dirk
Fitch;
∫ 7:30 p.m. — Martins Ferry
basketball coach Derek Edwards;
High School Principle Jim Fogle;
swim coach Nick Levi;
Athletic Director Kim Apolloni;
teacher and coach Paul Matuska;
baseball coach Anthony Reas-
beck; and
∫ 10:30 p.m. — Martins
Ferry EMS Capt. Brian Cooper.
The Saturday, Aug. 6, Dunk
Tank lineup includes:
∫ 7 p.m. — Belmont County
Common Pleas Judge Chris
Berhalter;
∫ 7:30 p.m. — Belmont
County Prosecutor Dan Fry;
Commissioner Mark Thomas;
County Commissioner Matt
Coffland;
Sheriff Dave Lucas;
County Auditor Andy Sutak;
EMA Director Dave Ivan; and
∫ 10:30 p.m. — Martins
Ferry Police Sgt. Beth Scales.
Reese said the Betty Zane 5K
Run/Walk benefiting MFHS ath-
letics is slated for 6 p.m. Aug. 3.
The firefighter parade and water
battle is set for Aug. 6.
“There will be live entertain-
ment throughout the week,”
Reese said.
Betty Zane Festival to feature Dunk Tank
T-L file photo/SHELLEY HANSON
MARTINS FERRY Lions Club member Paul Riethmiller, left, talks during the dedication of the
new Veterans Wall this past spring at City Park as his fellow members stand with the wall. The
club is slated to again sponsor the Dunk Tank at Betty Zane Days at the park Aug. 2-6.
Vocalist Cheryl Morris comes to Cadiz
T-L Photos/ TIFFANY BUMGARDNER
CHERYL MORRIS and her husband, Chuck Par-Due, get ready to perform the song “You Made Me Love You,” with Cheryl
singing to a framed photo of Clark Gable.
ABOVE: Cheryl Morris’ husband, Chuck Par-Due, shows an
image of young Cheryl with Doris Day on his cell phone.
RIGHT: Cheryl Morris Par-Due stands on the porch of the
Clark Gable Museum in Cadiz, fulfilling a dream of visiting it in
person.

Cheryl Morris

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