Morgan, Catherine M. 1913-2007

MORGAN, HALL, BRIDE

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/14/2007 at 14:26:03

Catherine M. Morgan of Le Mars died Friday June 22, 2007, at the age of 93, at Plymouth Manor Care Center in Le Mars.

Mrs. Morgan, the former Catherine Hall, was born Sept. 6, 1913 in Woodstock, Minn., the daughter of John and Anna (Bride) Hall. She moved to Kingsley in 1927 and graduated from Kingsley High School in 1931. She worked as a telephone operator and waitress before marrying Louis "Lou" Morgan on May 2, 1953 in Anchorage, Alaska. Catherine worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Soldotna, Alaska, while she and her husband homesteaded on the Kenai Peninsula in Sterling, Alaska along the Kenai River. Their homestead is now known as Morgan's Landing and is headquarters for the Kenai River Special Management Area, a part of the Alaska State Parks system. After both Mr. and Mrs. Morgan retired, they enjoyed sailing their yacht from Florida down through the Panama Canal and on to California. They also enjoyed traveling in their motor home making several trips back to Alaska and other parts of the Lower 48 states before settling in Iowa to be near family.

Catherine enjoyed bowling and bowled on many league teams in Alaska winning many championships. She enjoyed fishing for salmon from the banks of the Kenai River and had the skill to land several of the world famous "Kenai River Kings," often weighing more than 50 pounds. Catherine was an accomplished softball player in her youth and early adulthood. She was an avid sports fan and loved watching all sports on television especially the Iowa Hawkeye's and the Chicago Cubs.

Catherine was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and a staunch supporter of Gehlen Catholic Schools in Le Mars.

Survivors include two sisters-in-law: Dolores Hall of Le Mars and Mabel March of Crescent City, Calif.; 11 nephews and their wives: Marty and Cathy Shearer of Le Mars, Rex and Darlene Shearer of Storm Lake, Joe and Lorraine Hall and Mike and Pat Hall, all of Camarillo, Calif., Patrick Hall of Carroll, Jack and Suzanne Hall of Oakland, Calif., Jim and Mary Hall of Yuma, Ariz., Vince and Maxine March of Kingsley, Jim March of Springfield, Ore., Tom March of Manfee, Calif., and Dick March and Harry March, both of Crescent City, Calif.; eight nieces and their husbands: Margaret and Jim Moir of Le Mars, Mary and Tom Gengerke of Spirit Lake, Sally and Jack Kooker of Storm Lake, Sheila and Charles Neave of Napa, Calif., Jane and David Happe of Bellevue, Neb., Amy and Mike McGill of Dubuque, Janice and Buzz Briggs of Crescent City, Calif., Jeanie Vallee of Eureka, Calif., Faye March (Wyman) of Le Mars; and many great-nieces and nephews as well as many wonderful friends.

Catherine was preceded in death by her husband Louis Morgan; a sister, Dorothy Shearer and her husband Clifford; brothers: Floyd Hall and his wife Martha, Mike Hall and his wife Lois, Fritz Hall and his wife LaVonne, Roy March and his wife Lilly and Lee March; and three nephews: Don Hall, Mark Hall and Wyman March.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday July 3, 2007 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Le Mars, with the Rev. Kevin Richter presiding. Burial will be in St. Michael's Cemetery in Kingsley. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. Monday at the Feuerstein Funeral Home in Le Mars, where there will be a Scriptural wake service at 7 p.m.

~LeMars Daily Sentinel