| Obituary | Nov, 1938 | Riceville recorder, Riceville, IA, USA, Obituary of May L. Morgan
Born Near Albion, Ia., April 16, 1867. Passed Away Nov. 5, 1938.
Lydia May Houghton was born on a farm one mile east of Albion in Marshall County, Iowa, on the 16th day of April, 1867. With the exception of two years spent in California all her life was spent in Iowa. She was the only daughter and the second of three children born to George Washington Houghton and Clarinda Ette Tender Houghton. Her parents and elder brother, Frank Henry, were born in Jay County in the state of New York. A younger brother, Fred George, was also born on the Albion farm. The Houghton family were among the pioneer farmers of Marshall County and were numbered among the substantial families that helped to make the right kind of Iowa history. She was the only surviving member of her family.
May Houghton had an exceptionally happy girlhood. Here parents were devout Christians and held family worship every morning. They were devoted to each other and their children never heard a quarrel or cross word spoken between their parents. There spacious farm home was the scene of many a happy time with their numerous friends. After the father purchased a home in Marshalltown and retired, his two sons ran the home farm and it was many years before it was sold outside the family. The home in Marshalltown was not sold until after the mother's death. May attended the spelling matches, debating societies and singing schools that were so popular in her girlhood. She had many friends that remained loyal to her throughout her life. May Houghton received her education in a rural school, a business course in the Albion Seminary and Teachers' Training at the Iowa State Teachers' College at Cedar Flats. She was a student up to the time of her last illness and belonged to the class of people who are never too old to learn. She was a born teacher and taught for many years in schools throughout Iowa.
She taught country schools, in Marshall County before her marriage and up to 1 1-2 years afterwards. After her children were old enough to be in school she acted as supply teacher in schools at Clarence and Sigourney where her husband was the Superintendent of the school. Many years later she taught the Junior high grades in Liscomb, Zearing, Denmark, Thornburg, Garrison and Conrad, also many country schools. Her discipline and influence for the good among her pupils cannot be estimated. She was never as happy as when she was in the schoolroom.
At the age of 62 it was with genuine sorrow that she gave up her chosen profession. For two years she was a matron in one of the girls cottages of the Iowa State Juvenile Home at Toledo, Iowa.
May Houghton was married on December 20, 1887 to James Hamilton Morgan. Four children survive this union, Genevieve Ethelyn (Mrs. Frederick B. Robertson of Minneapolis, Minnesota); Vivian Imogene (Mrs. Joseph A. Uran of Riceville, Iowa); Maxwell Morgan of Fargo, North Dakota; and Elouise (Mrs. Merle E. Wade of Riverside, California). Her surviving grandchildren are Patricia Jean Robertson and Frederick byron Robertson, Jr; Marshall Milton, Ellen Vivian, Margaret and Donald Maxwell Uran; Janet and Juliet Morgan, and Maxwell Buckingham Morgan, Jr; Joy and Deane Wade. One grandchild, Stanley M. Uran died in infancy.
Mrs. Morgan had a fine alto voice and wherever she lived gave freely of her time and musical talent. At an early age she became a member of the Presbyterian Church of Albion, Iowa, and was ever after a devoted Christian. She was always a worker in the church no matter where she lived. At the time of her death she was a member of the Riceville Congregational Church.
Mrs. Morgan was a charter member of the Wellsburg American Legion Auxiliary, later changing her membership to the Riceville Unit. She was a member of the Marshalltown Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a member of the Riceville Garden Club and the Riceville Order of Eastern Stars. Until coming to Riceville she had always been a member of the Literary Division of the Federated Women's club, her last membership being with such a Club at Whittier, California.
Travel was Mrs. Morgan's hobby and she had traveled extensively in 39 of the states, also in parts of Canada and Mexico. her children took great pride in their mother's progressiveness and to them she never seemed old. When many women of her age were considered too old for such things she took her first airplane ride. In 1924 as the result of being thrown off the sidewalk by a bicycle rider it became necessary for Mrs. Morgan to have a serious knee operation that left her lame. In spite of this handicap she learned to walk again and never allowed her lameness to interfere in any way with her busy life.
On January 23, 1937, she fell in her room fracturing her left hip. She was the most patient of sufferers. Everything that could possibly be done for her comfort was done at the St. Joseph's Hospital in New Hampton, Iowa, where she remained for 6 weeks. Later she was moved to the home of Winnie Lake of the same city for six weeks. For the next 7 months that she was confined to her bed, Mrs. Morgan lived in the home of Mrs. Fanny Gerke of Riceville, Iowa. On December 26, 1937, chloroid carcinoma in an advanced stage was discovered to be present. Her son Max, and daughter Mrs. Uran, took their mother to the New Hampton Clinic and later to the Mayo Clinic of Rochester, Minnesota. Although her recovery was hopeless, it was possible to control the pain.
On February 3, 1938, Mrs. Morgan was brought to the home of her son-in-law, Dr. Joseph Uran of Riceville, Iowa, where she passed peacefully to her eternal sleep at 10:50 P.M., Tuesday, November 5, 1938.
Mrs. Morgan had many friends and carried on a correspondence with friends and relatives from all over the United States. Some inkling of her correspondence list may be apparent by the 115 greetings she received on her 70th birthday anniversary and the 350 letters and cards that were sent to her during her 3 months stay in New Hampton.
She loved Riceville and chose this small town as the place to spend her declining years. here she found many good and loyal friends as she did wherever she lived. Being herself a loyal and true friend to everyone and a very interesting conversationalist, she had an unflagging interest in all Riceville activities and people. She kept up her interest in civic affairs until the last.
Mrs. Morgan was very fond of all children and during her last illness when she was too ill to see even her closest relatives she asked to see any child who called at her home. She was especially fond of Elinor Jean Martin who came often to see her and to bring her flowers.
A speed record for typing was held by Mrs. Morgan in her younger days and the desire to excel in all that she undertook was always present. Arithmetic was her hardest subject to understand, but by grim determination and hard study she was able to pass her arithmetic examination for her first grade teacher's certificate and received a grade of 100 at an age when most women are content to sit at home and rest.
Mrs Morgan was not told that her illness would be fatal and so remained her cheerful self until the last. She learned to walk after her long confinement to bed following her hip fracture but on June 5th it was thought best to save her failing strength by keeping her in bed.
Mrs. Morgan's worst fault was her generosity and thoughtfulness of others. She often denied herself comforts that she might give to others and in her last illness thought more of her nurse's comfort than she did of her own. Her family had a keen sense of humor, a love of the truth and a firm belief in fiar play and a feeling of responsibility toward all worthwhile community projects. These sterling characteristics she passed on to her own children and grandchildren. She never liked housework but because she wanted to be the best of wives and mothers she became an excellent cook and housekeeper. She also learned to sew after her marriage and became a very fine seamstress.
Among her papers was found a poem by Edgar A. Guest, entitled "Mother" that Mrs. Morgan had kept in memory of her own mother. It well suited her too. [poem given]
The funeral service were held in the Riceville Congregational church on Friday, November eighteenth at two o'clock. The Reverend J. Priestley officiated with the Eastern Stars. Mrs. Charles McMaster and Ross Swancutt, accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Earl Adams, sang her favorite hymns, "The Old Rugged Cross" and "When They Ring Those Golden Bells for You and Me". She was laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery at Riceville. Thae pallbearers were: Aldis Dunton, Francis Martin, Arthur Minnis, Lawrence Roe, John Roche and Charles McKibben.
Relatives and friends from a distance who were present at the last rites were Max Morgan, Fargo, N.Dak; Miss Ellen Vivian Uran, Des Moines, Iowa; Miss Margaret Uran, Rochester, Minn; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Prescott, Adams, Minn; Mrs hugh Hughes, Plainfield, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Norris, West Union, Iowa; Mrs. Cora Houghton, Miss Carol Houghton, Miss Lillian Houghton, Mrs. Craig Graham and Miss Cora Houghton all of Marshalltown, Iowa. |
Vaughn Dennis Longanecker1,2
