Ann H. Morgan

Ann Helena Raiha Morgan

Ann H. Morgan, age 97, of Tumwater, WA, passed away on January 23, 2011, at Olympics West Retirement Inn. She was born April 22, 1913, in Stambaugh, MI, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She was the daughter of the late Axel and Mary (Nikkola) Raiha. She attended the Cloverland School through eighth grade and graduated from Stambaugh High School in 1931. After graduation, she was a domestic engineer in homes in Detroit, MI. In 1935, she bought a one-way ticket to Washington State where she had an Aunt Anna Lindquist in Winlock and cousins Astrid Anderson and Fred Lindquist. She worked as a waitress with Clemens Logging Company. On May 14, 1938, she married William (Bill) J. Tyson in Kelso, WA. He was from Chilton, Wisconsin. They lived in Lake Quinault where he was a logger. They had a daughter, Mary Ann, born in May 1940. Bill Tyson died July 5, 1940, as a result of a logging accident. Ann worked for three years at Boeing in Aberdeen, WA, in the tool dispensing room. She married Cliff Morgan after he returned from the war. They were divorced after seven years of marriage. In 1955, Ann and her daughter moved to Olympia, where she worked for the State of Washington starting out in the Vocational Educational Office. In 1967, she was promoted to the Insurance Commissioner's Office where she was in charge of payroll. She retired in 1977.
Ann was an active member of and delegate for Business and Professional Women (BPW) and the Thurston County Democratic Party, and was a member of the US China Peoples Friendship Association (USCPFA). She was fluent in the Finnish language and belonged to Finnish groups such as United Finnish Kaleva Brothers and Sisters, Winlock Lodge No. 19, and the Olympia Finnish Heritage Group. She thoroughly enjoyed her books on tape from the Washington State Library. Ann's passion was travel. Every two years, she traveled to a new country. Her travels were by plane, boat, ship, train, or bus. She visited all the continents except Antarctica. In 1968, she and her sister Ida traveled to Canberra, Australia, where Ida's daughter, Bette, was with the American Embassy. While there, they visited a ranch where a sheep shearing demonstration was arranged for them. Through membership in the USCPFA, she spent three weeks in China in 1975. In 1987, she spent 27 days going around the world with her sister Liz. They took the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Beijing, China, to Mongolia, through Siberia, across Russia to Moscow. When in Egypt, Ann went down the Nile and even rode a camel. She especially loved her five trips to Finland where she met several first cousins. Her father was one of 12 siblings. Ann attended at least 14 annual FinnFest gatherings throughout the US and Canada. While in Olympia, she was a well-known seamstress to many. After retirement, she house sat and took care of children, adults, dogs, cats and one time a horse!
She is survived by sisters Caroline Mehlberg and Elizabeth Ponozzo of Iron River, MI; sister-in-law, Lucille Raiha of Iron River; special nieces, Elizabeth (Bette) Cochennette of Santa Rosa, CA, and Mary Wurzer of Darien, IL; special friends, Leonor Dow of Tumwater, WA, and Carol Hannum of Olympia, WA; and nieces, nephews and extended family. Besides her husbands, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Mary Ann, in 2002; brother, Lauri and David; sisters, Ida Cochennette and Eva Wurzer, and several other family members.
No services will be held. Private family burial will be in Stambaugh Cemetery, Iron River, MI 49935.
Memorial donations may be made to the Thurston County Democratic Party, Washington Talking Book & Braile Library in Seattle, or charity of your choice. To leave memories of Ann or condolences for the family, go to www.FuneralAlternatives.org Arrangements are with Funeral Alternatives of Washington 360-753-1065.