Barbara Morgan

Dates

Obituary

Barbara Morgan, 79, of Mitchell, SD, died Friday, May 3, 2024, at Firesteel Healthcare Center in Mitchell. Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, May 8, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Mitchell. Visitation will be Tuesday from 5-7:00 PM at Bittner Funeral Chapel with a 6:30 PM prayer service.

Barbara Ann Morgan was born on March 8, 1945, to Francis and Margaret (Friedrich) Gaetze in Mitchell, SD. She graduated from Canova High School in 1963.

Barb was united in marriage to Ronald Morgan on October 3, 1964 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell.

Barb was always looking for ways to supplement the family income. She was a dealer for Stanley and House of Lloyd; she also worked for Neilson Ratings. She canned the produce from the backyard garden. She enjoyed many crafts, among these using colored corn to fill in the outline of a rooster on plywood. She drove the family mail route 6 days a week. She also eased into retirement working in the Fabrics and Crafts department at Wal-Mart.

Barb sewed since she was a young girl, making clothes for her children and grandchildren, as well as participating in a program to sew appropriately sized clothing for premature babies. She made baby blankets for some of her grandchildren, as well as a First Communion dress for granddaughter, Emilie. She sewed all the dresses for her daughter Maggie’s wedding.

She was always cooking and baking; some of her specialties were Fantastic Potatoes and “Burn the House Down Baked Beans” (ask one of her kids if you want to know the details!). She also won the SD Cattlewoman’s club beef cook off one year with her Enchiladas Americano.

In her spare time, she worked on crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word searches, cryptogram, and solitaire. Barb was also an enthusiastic card player at any type of cards.

Barb fed and clothed anyone; she regularly donated to the Mitchell Food Pantry.

Barb was always looking out for everyone else. She was generous, helpful, loving, caring, strong, and hardworking. She always had a smile on her face.

Barb is survived by her husband, Ron; eight children, Michelle (Dan) Mika, Monica (Neal) Rothenberger, Michael Morgan, Mary (Bill) Fuchuck, Marcia (Tracy) Sprinkel, Mark (Renatka) Morgan, Margaret (Adam) Berkey, and Matthew Morgan; 27 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren; and sisters, Mary Jean Jessen and Eileen Honner.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Kenneth Gaetze; parents-in-law, Loretta and Charles Morgan; brothers-in-law, Marvin Jessen, Stephen Fitzgerald, Ronald Honner, Thomas Morgan, and Francis Goldammer; and sisters-in-law, Mary Carol Smith, Josephine Gaetze, and Sylvia Morgan.

In lieu of flowers, memorial are preferred to Alzheimer's Association.

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