Frank William Morgan

Frank William Morgan passed away September 12, 2013, following a short but valiant battle with leukemia. He was born and raised in the Gallatin Valley, attended Pass Creek grade school, Belgrade High School and graduated from Montana State College with a degree in agricultural business in 1968. He served his country and began his love of flying through his time in the Montana National Guard. Following his college graduation, he came back to the family ranch and ran sheep with his father. He then struck out on his own, buying his grandfather’s place, and continued his dryland farming career. He married Nancy Moore in 1978, and they have journeyed together with humor and pluck through the ups and downs of agriculture and building a strong family. Frank was a man of many talents, with the analytical mind of an engineer. He used his skills to craft many inventive solutions for broken machinery and household repairs. Function ruled the day, with bonus points for low cost. He worked hard to provide for his family and put together a place of his own. He spent many hours searching out, rebuilding and maintaining the family fleet of vehicles. His daughters will always remember how he loved to take them to and from the country school on the old Skidoo snow machine. He grew in his faith through Christian radio, Bible study and especially the writings of C.S. Lewis and John Eldredge. He wasn’t afraid of change. Technology and new ideas fascinated him. He enjoyed applying no-till techniques and GPS technology to farming. Frank obtained an early patent for a no-till drill. He continued to learn all his life—if he didn’t know how to do something he taught himself from a manual, whether it was wiring, plumbing, learning MS-DOS in the early years of computer or learning to operate an ancient metal lathe. Frank was a keen observer. He was usually the first to spot game, the new fawns or the earliest shooting stars in the spring. He would bring them home to his wife in a paper cup. He enjoyed nature and tracked carefully the changes each year brought. He taught his family many practical skills: identifying range plants, reading animal and vehicle tracks, finding arrowheads after a rain and the work of calving, lambing, branding and moving cattle and sheep. He always took an annual fall elk hunting trip with good friends, creating a lifetime of memories. He loved to watch a crop grow. He loved a good rain. He quoted Robert Service at opportune times and could remember lyrics from old country songs. Frank leaves behind his wife, Nancy, daughters: Sarah (Zac), Carol (Sean) and Natalie, two grandchildren, many extended family members and lifelong friends, and his latest mutt—Sasha. We will miss him greatly. He leaves a hole in our lives that will never be replaced. He was truly one of a kind. A memorial service will be held Friday, September 20th at 11:30 am at the Pass Creek Community Center. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Frank’s name to the Pioneer Museum or the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Online Condolences may be shared at www.DahlCares.com