Edwin Reese Morgan, 80, of Bozeman, Montana passed away on Monday, March 29, 2021.
Born May 8, 1940, in Jefferson County, Montana, Edwin “Ed” grew up in the Whitehall and Waterloo areas. Ed’s family ventured to Alaska to homestead in the late ’50s or early ’60s, where he worked at the Fern Goldmine alongside his dad as a teenager. He was a cowboy on the Double Diamond Ranch in Dubois, Wyoming when he met his bride, Gwen Remer. They were married on August 20, 1973, and spent the next 47 years by each other’s side.
Ed worked as a mechanic, a truck driver, and a logger in the Dakotas, Arkansas, and Montana. He spent the last 20 years of his career working as a dump truck driver and a jack-of-all-trades for J&S Construction until his retirement.
In retirement, Ed pursued his lifelong passion of working on old cars; finding the parts, putting them back together, and the ultimate thrill of starting them up and hearing them run for the first time in decades.
All who knew Ed would agree that if he had to be summed up in one sentence it was this: Ed Morgan was the kindest, most gentle person the world could hope to know. Even animals seemed to be drawn to him. He was a man who would drop anything and come running to help anyone at any time. He was known to lend a helping hand to any stranded motorist, often going to get them fuel or working on their vehicle for hours to get them on their way, never accepting any payment for his services. However, if you happened to be traveling with Ed and he said he knew a “shortcut”, you knew you were in for a long, long ride and you’d better be prepared to dig the truck out.
Ed is survived by his wife, Gwen; son, Scott; daughter, Rebecca; six grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was everyone’s favorite uncle.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Wilbur (Curly) Morgan and Mary Kroll; his brother, Gene Morgan; and his sister, Frances Aherns.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Lindley Center, 1102 E. Curtiss Street in Bozeman, at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday, April 11, 2021. The family requests that friends dress in Ed’s favorite color, bright blue, and, as Ed was a casual guy, boots and jeans are quite appropriate attire. Anyone who would like to share stories at Ed’s memorial is encouraged to do so.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Gallatin Rest Home Auxiliary, 1221 Durston, Bozeman, MT 59715 noting that it is in remembrance of Ed. Gwen would like to make a heartfelt thank you to the loving staff at Gallatin Rest Home and Hospice of Bozeman Health for their unwavering support and compassionate care.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
