Shirley Christensen Morgan

Shirley Christensen Morgan, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend passed away peacefully in her home in Riverton, Utah on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, having recently celebrated her 94th birthday. She was born on April 19, 1929 in Sugar City, Idaho to Charles Elmer and Margurette Murdock Christensen, the third of nine children.  

Shirley lived and attended schools in Alta, WY and Driggs, ID in her younger years and graduated from Teton High School in Driggs.  She moved to California after high school, living with her Aunt Marjorie Parks in Vallejo as she attended business classes at a Jr. college. Returning to Idaho Falls, Idaho, she lived with her Grandma Birdie Christensen and cared for her while attending classes at the Idaho Falls Business College.  She worked for 3 years as a secretary for the Bonneville County Extension Office in Idaho Falls. While there, Shirley met her loving husband, John Gayle Morgan, from Ucon, Idaho; they were married for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on December 15, 1950.

Shirley and Gayle lived in Salt Lake City until he graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. degree and graduate certificate in Social Work.  Their first two children Janelle Heather, and Gay, were born during those years.  The family moved to California for work, living in Alameda and Hayward, where they purchased their first home. Valerie and Terral Wayne were born in California.  After five years, they desired to move closer to their Idaho relatives; and decided to purchase a house and small farm from Shirley’s great-aunt Harriet Crawshaw in Hyrum, Utah. Eventually, three more children joined the family there: Renae, Ilene, and John Gregory. They were happy raising their family in this small rural area and enjoyed frequent visits with relatives, gardening, camping trips, hunting, fishing, swimming, music, and dance.  In 1975 they purchased a laundromat and beauty salon, providing work and learning experiences for some of the children.

After 19 years in Hyrum, Shirley and Gayle made a change, moving the family to Heber City, Utah and purchasing a motel and restaurant. They worked hard to make ends meet, but soon it was necessary to sell the businesses. They purchased and managed a jewelry store, living in Orem and West Valley City, Utah. Shirley worked in a nursing home and care center at this time. Always eager to learn new skills, she also enrolled in a secretarial course at P.C. Technical College in Salt Lake City and learned to use computers.

After purchasing their current home in Riverton, they worked hard at making home improvements and landscaping the yard, by planting grass, fruit trees, bushes, flowers, vegetables, and a variety of other trees. Each year the family raised a large vegetable garden. Shirley was involved with much food preparation and preservation through the years and loved sharing her bounty with others.  

She was an extraordinary cook and seamstress, using those skills to joyfully provide for her family’s needs and serve others.  She loved embroidery work, crocheting, quilting, and painting ceramics.  Many family members and friends were recipients of her beautiful gifts of love.

As an active member of the Church, Shirley had great faith in God, and served in many positions, including teaching Young Women, Sunday School, Primary, and Relief Society; and was even the nursery ‘cookie grandma’ for a while.  Family History and temple work were very important to her.  As seniors, she and Gayle served in the Jordan River Temple weekly for 9 years.

Shirley loved her large family and friends, always concerned for their well-being. She is survived by four siblings, Dawn (Phil) Hanks, Mark (Pat) Christensen, Val (Naomi) Christensen, Alvie Christensen, 7 children, 26 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews, each one very dear to her.  She was preceded in death by her husband, John Gayle Morgan in 2010, her parents, four sisters- Maureen (Blake) Dustin, Florence (Marvin) Matthews, LaRita (Larry) Putnam, Gayle (Steve) Peterson, and sister-in-law Gloria Christensen (Alvie’s wife).

Shirley’s life will be celebrated on Friday, June 30, 2023 at the Riverton, Utah 10th ward meetinghouse,12830 South 2700 West, with a viewing at 9:30 to 10:45 AM and memorial services in the chapel at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow at the Veteran’s Cemetery at 17111 South 1700 West, Bluffdale, UT, by her husband’s side.

To watch the service live click the link: https://zoom.us/j/99696755428