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Branson-area real estate agent dies

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Layne Morrill, a Branson-area real estate agency who represented the industry on the national stage, died Jan. 30.

The National Association of Realtors reported in a news release that Morrill, of Kimberling City, had Parkinson's disease. His age was not given.

Morrill's LinkedIn profile lists him as owner of Shepherd of the Hills, Realtors. Company filings with the Missouri secretary of state indicate he was the sole owner, and a call to his office was met with a voice message from Morrill.

A real estate agent for some 60 years, Morrill was active for decades with the NAR, serving as its president in 1998, according to the release.

"Layne had a host of achievements as NAR president and bestowed innumerable gifts through action upon the real estate industry," said current NAR President Charlie Oppler, in the release. "He set a great example for me and all other NAR leaders who followed in his footsteps."

During his tenure as NAR's president, Morrill is credited with advocating for housing legislation and real estate protections. He advocated for mortgage insurance process modifications before a Senate committee, and he worked for private property rights, expansion of the Federal Housing Administration and tax reform, NAR officials say.

Additionally, Morrill in 1997 accepted on behalf of NAR the U.S. Agency for International Development's domestic partnership award, recognizing the organization's work to improve property rights and shelter needs in eastern Europe, according to the release.

In a separate news release, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, called Morrill "a great friend, a good adviser and always willing to help."

"He had a family history that gave him a unique knowledge of the development of the Table Rock Lake area as a travel destination and an increasingly good place to invest in property and community," Blunt said in the release. "Layne’s family connections to the Ozarks and The Shepherd of the Hills were deep and important.”

The Morrill Homestead is part of the Shepherd of the Hills historical attraction, and homestead founder Levi Morrill is Layne Morrill’s great-grandfather. Levi was called Uncle Ike in the Shepherd of the Hills fictional novel that popularized the family and area, according to a 2018 report by KSMU.

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