Donald Earl Morgan was born July 20th, 1928 to John Daniel Morgan and Hilda Myrtle Locke in Fort Lupton, Colorado. He passed away on April 2"d, 2017 with his daughter by his side, at the age of 88 years, 8 months and 13 days. He was laid to rest next to his wife of 56 years on April 5th at Roselawn Cemetery in Fort Collins.
Don lived in various towns in Colorado while growing up as his father worked at construction, timber or quarry jobs wherever he could find them. The family lived in Nederland for a time and that is where Don met his future wife, June Eleanor Conklin. They were married in Laramie, Wyoming on September 2, 1948. Don worked as a truck driver in Laramie for Neil Nordman, and June worked for architects Eliot & Elizabeth Hitchcock as a bookkeeper.
In 1949 they moved to Fort Collins, where Don worked on the Carter Lake Dam for a while before going to work for Sterling Sand & Gravel Company, where he worked until retirement. Sterling Companies sold multiple times, the first in 1982, and Don stayed on with each transition. His final position was with Western Mobile as Vice President/Division Manager of Aggregate
Production/Maintenance. He retired in May of 1992, having worked for Sterling or subsequent owners for 41 years.
Don was man from humble beginnings, and was a humble man himself. He learned the value of hard work and honesty very early in life, and always gave more than was asked, and never expected anything in return. He focused on working hard and taking care of his family, had a passion for steam trains, history, genealogy and enjoying his little slice of paradise in Cherokee Park that he and June acquired in 1977.
Don and June had 4 children, the first of which was a son born in Laramie in 1948. June was ill at the time and the doctors convinced them to give the child up for adoption. The second child was a daughter, born and died in Fort Collins in November 1952. The next year a daughter was born, and 3 years later another son.
Don is survived by 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren; Eric W. Sivula Sr. (Elise), his first son whom he connected with in 2012, of Troup, Texas; daughter Marilyn K. Morgan of Fort Collins; son Daniel J. Morgan (Vickie) of Fort Collins. He is also survived by grandson Eric W. Sivula Jr., (Rochelle) and their sons Eric Morgan Sivula and Malcom Robert Sivula; granddaughter Cara Scohy (Jason) and their children Ashlynn Mariah and Conor Mathew; granddaughter Brenna Overman (Chris) of Broomfield, and grandson Jarod of Fort Collins. Don is also survived by his sister, Erma Jean Morgan Sutherland of Dacono, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Don was preceded in death by his wife June, his sister Myrna Lee Morgan Simkins, his parents and many cousins, aunts and uncles.