Mary Ann Merrill Morgan

PAUL – Mary Ann Nichols Merrill Morgan returned to the arms of her loving Heavenly Father on May 29, 2020, at the age of 99.

She was born Jan. 10, 1921, the youngest child of Holt Nichols and Mary Ann Bennett Hellewell. She grew up on the family farm north of Rupert with one older sister and five older, teasing brothers. She received her college education at Weber State University and attended nurse’s training at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, receiving her nursing degree around Aug. 1944. Lee Webb Merrill courted her while she was working at Twin Falls Hospital and he was working in Paul. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on Sept. 6, 1945, and lived a beautiful life together, having six children, before Lee passed away Nov. 25, 1992. She continued working in the Boise Idaho Temple, where she discovered a fellow temple worker EJ Morgan. They fell in love and were married three years later on July 22, 1995, in the Jordan River Utah Temple. To our delight, we gained 12 bonus siblings, making 18 children between them. They have been a special part of our lives in the 18 years Mary and EJ were married before he passed away on Nov. 5, 2013.

Mary was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings, including Relief Society president, MIA Women’s presidency, Rupert Stake Relief Society board, Primary achievement day leader, Primary teacher, and Sunday School teacher. She also was a temple worker for many years, serving in the Boise Temple with Lee until his passing. After marrying EJ, they served in the Boise Temple until the Twin Falls Idaho Temple was completed. She and EJ served a mission to the London England Temple from 2001-2002 and had many wonderful experiences there. They also served as Trek support helpers in their motor home in 1996 for a pioneer commemorative re-enactment of the trek from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mary had a number of different employment experiences during her life, at one time working as a waitress at Lake Tahoe, as a nurse at the Twin Falls Hospital, at the Burley Fabric Center, and later, as an on-call surgery nurse in Cassia Memorial Hospital. Her nursing skills also came in handy in caring for family members, including her son Rulon, her mother, her sister-in-law, and numerous others.

An amazing seamstress, Mary made sister dresses, prom dresses, and whatever needed to be made. She did gardening, stamp collecting, doll collecting, and was a handywoman. She was the wallpapering queen – wallpapering everything from walls to a furnace vent she didn’t like. She and EJ became our adult teeny boppers, traveling extensively, often in the motor home. Mother was a skilled hairdresser, cutting and perming all her daughters’ and granddaughters’ hair from the time they were children until they were adults. She loved riding the big horse she had as a child, and then later riding EJ’s horse, Lucky.

As a mother and grandmother, she was loved by all – her children, stepchildren, and grandchildren. Many valuable life lessons were taught by precept and example, never expecting us to do anything she wasn’t doing herself. She is survived by her children, Brenda (Ralph) Walquist of Paul, Peggy (Jim) Henson of Roseburg, Ore., Jill Maxwell of Sandy, Utah, and Joan (Eric) Cluff of Orem, Utah; a son-in-law, Sheril Larsen of Sandy, Utah; and a daughter-in-law, Joyce Merrill of Burley; along with 15 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren; and our bonus siblings, Dick Barton of Twin Falls, Ken (Molice) Hansen of Bountiful, Utah, Pat (Leon) Wurston of River Heights, Utah, Curtis (Kathy) Morgan of Draper, Utah, Steve (Candy) Morgan of Cave Creek, Ariz., Paul (Carol) Morgan and DeAnna (Frank) Durham both of Twin Falls, Marianne (Don) Belliston of Bountiful, Utah, Janice (Ted) Crandall of Pocatello, Krista (Allen) Kelsey of Twin Falls, Ellen (Randy) Pooler of St George, Utah, and Zora (Brent) Christensen of Twin Falls.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers; Holt, Jim, Bill, Bob, and George; and her sister, Veda; her husbands, Lee Webb Merrill and EJ Morgan; her daughter, Judith Ann Larsen; and her son, Rulon Lee Merrill; and two great-grandchildren, Ashley Winn and Graycee Walquist.

We would like to give a special thanks to the past and present staff of Pomerelle Place (formerly Warren House) in Burley for their loving care of our mother for the past six-and-a-half years. They have been special angels to our Mother. We would also like to thank the Morgan and Larsen families for their love and compassion for Mother since she became part of their family. She loved them as if they had always been hers. Additionally, we express appreciation to Auburn Crest for their loving, skilled hospice care and for always being there when we needed them. Anita Jones was our anchor to the very end. We also would like to thank Hearts for Seniors for stepping in to care for Mother when we couldn’t be there. We considered Liz Valencia to be Mother’s guardian angel during the time we couldn’t go in to see her!

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at ALZ.org.

A visitation will be held from noon until 12:45 p.m. Monday, June 8, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley. A funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. Social distancing measures will be in place and it is recommended that facial masks be worn to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

A Video Tribute to the Life of Mary Ann Merrill Morgan is available at the following link: https://youtu.be/Cey8XUNbOQQ.

A live webcast of the Funeral Service will be available at the following link: https://youtu.be/bu3Mb9P5Ygs.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home of Burley.