Earl Morgan

I thought that I would write a little about Earl Morgan Son Of Edward Thomas and Merab Violet Richardson Morgan. He was Born in Neeley Idaho on April 13, 1900. He didn't tell me a lot about his early childhood except, when I used to ask him where he was born he used to tell me in a cave, in reading the history of the Morgans in Neeley Idaho Perhaps he wasn't kidding [Our first Morgan families who homesteaded in Neeley, Idaho lived in dugouts until they could build houses]. He told me when he was old enough to work he helped his Dad Edward work the land and do the farming. I'm not sure when he moved to Ririe Shelton Idaho Area. I remember him telling me he remembered when his mother died and that she died in Neeley Idaho in childbirth, I don't really know, only that he told me that, perhaps they moved after that to Shelton. It says that they moved there in 1907 in Edward Thomas Morgan's history, which is possible, If my Dad was mistaken about the year, My Dad would have been 9 years old then. He told me that when we were at the Neeley Cemetery when I was very young.

Anyway his Dad Edward Thomas had a farm In the Ririe Shelton Idaho area after they moved there (I don't know when he purchased it) I can remember it and being there when I was between 5 and 10 years old. I can remember he had a hard time growing anything on his farm, he actually one time even tried to grow peanuts which didn't work out very well. I don't remember exactly where it was but the land that he had wasn't that great for growing but he stayed there and managed to raise his [six] boys and [one] daughter.

Anyway my Dad Earl Morgan used to tell me about all of his Grandparents, and about the Ferry above Heise Hot springs (He even showed me where it was I guess I could find where it was by the terrain) And about Everyone working on the road into Conant Valley, and of all the perils that they had to go through clearing land and getting irrigation and all.

My Dad Earl Morgan Stayed with his Dad Edward Thomas Morgan and helped him on the farm until he was about 23 or so years old. He then met my Mother and they were married on the 24 of December 1924.

Then my Dad Earl Morgan and my Mother got a place in Ririe Idaho and lived there for a while. I'm not really sure what he done in Ririe as far as work goes. And then moved to a one room Apartment in Idaho Falls Idaho. He and his brother Ervin Morgan Decided to start a shearing plant and travel around, see the country and shear sheep and make good money. I'm just guessing that this might have been around 1927. In 1936 My Dad Earl Morgan and my Mother purchased a house in Idaho falls Idaho and had to stay in the apartment because for two years they couldn't afford the house payment of $8.00 per month. At That time my Dad Earl and Ervin stopped shearing together. Ervin (Ruff) Morgan went on to run his shearing plant and my dad Earl Morgan went to work at Rogers Brothers Seed Company across from the old Rail Road depot with one of his brothers Albert Morgan and my mother. Then in abut 1938 they moved into the house that they had bought and my dad Earl Morgan went back on the road shearing again with his brother Ervin. I think that all of my Dads Brothers were working with sheep most of their life herding and shearing. Edward Thomas Morgan jr.[Earl Morgan's oldest brother] spent quite a long time in world war 1.

My Dad Earl Morgan stuck with shearing until about 1949 then he Decided that he should spend more time around home so he went into carpentry work for a few years and then into roofing, which he done the rest of his life until he passed away on February 3, 1971. He is Buried at Ririe Shelton Cemetery. His other Brothers with the exception of Ervin (Ruff) are buried there. Ervin(Ruff) Morgan is buried Bakersfield, California. Below is a picture of his [Earl Morgan] headstone at the Ririe Shelton Cemetery.

Children of Earl Morgan his wife LaVell Rassmussen Morgan are: Pauline Nancy Morgan Dayley born about 1930 and died about 1995, Earla Gaye Morgan Gaffney born in 1935 and died 2009, and Ronald Dee Morgan born 05/04/1940 and died 04/07-2011.

Because Earl Morgan was my grandfather I wanted to talk of him in behalf of myself and his other grandchildren and his one great grandson.

Grandpa was born in Neeley, Idaho April 13, 1900 to Ted and Violet Morgan. His mother Violet died at the early age of 29, leaving 7 small children, 6 of which were raised by his father Ted, who never remarried. Life wasn't always easy for him but he did what he had to do and did it well. When he was a small boy they moved to Ririe where his father and the rest of his family lived for many years.

Uncle Ed, being the oldest, had to help his dad in the fields. So that left grandpa and Dutch to do the "Mothering" I guess you'd say, doing all the cooking and tending of the smaller children. I always recall him saying how he and Dutch took turns braiding their sister Dot's hair. But then grandpa was always good at anything.

And even at this serious moment I can't help chuckling at the time grandpa threw pepper on the old school stove so they would have to be dismissed for the rest of the day.

He married grandma, LaVell Rassmussen, Christmas Eve 1924 in Ririe. Their first child died at birth which saddened them. Then they were blessed with my mom, Pauline. Eight years later they were blessed with another girl, Gaye. Next Ron, their only son, was born.

Grandpa was a shy and quiet man except to those he knew well and those who loved him dearly. He was always joking and playing with us and giving us his love. I'm sure he knows how much, how very much, all his friends, neighbors, and relatives loved and appreciated all he did for us which was so very much.

And in closing I'd like to say in the words of my little "sis." "Who's going to fix our toys now?"

Earl and Emma Morgan's gravestones in the Shelton, Idaho Cemetery. Earl's wife was Emma LaVell Rasmussen. Her maiden name was inadvertantly left off the headstone.