Ralph Bartlett Morrill Obituary
Elizabeth, Oregon, United States
December 02, 2017 - January 02, 2017
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Ralph Bartlett Morrill Obituary
Dec 02, 2017 - Jan 02, 2017
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Ralph Bartlett Morrill, 92, of Tulelake, Calif., and most recently of Klamath Falls, Ore., died on Jan. 28, 2017, of medical complications from an extended illness and age. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, in the Klamath Falls Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 501 Martin St. (the corner of Home and Martin streets). A viewing will be held prior to the service from 9 to 10 a.m. Interment will be at Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens on Highway 39 in Klamath Falls. Ralph was born on Dec. 1, 1924 , in Tridell, Utah, and was one of 11 children. On the family farm, he learned to work by milking cows and doing field and farm labor. He graduated from Altera High School in Roosevelt, Utah. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. During World War II, he served on a landing craft (LCM) as a motor mechanic and petty officer 1st class in the Pacific Theater. After the war, Ralph continued his education at Utah State University and was majoring in agriculture when his name was drawn for a special veteran's homestead program in the Newell, Calif., area. It was there in 1949 that he met the love of his life, Lathel V. Gosnel,l from South Carolina, who was serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon). After Lathel returned , Ralph sent an engagement ring to her in the mail and she accepted his proposal of marriage. They were married on June 28, 1950, in the Salt Lake City, Utah, L.D.S. Temple. Shortly thereafter, they returned to the Newell area to homestead for the next 10 years, raising potatoes, hay, grain and five young children. In addition to farming, Ralph worked extra jobs to make ends meet. He worked as a gas truck driver for the local co-op. After difficult times farming, in 1961 the Morrill family sold the farm and moved to the town of Tulelake, where Ralph took a job as the maintenance supervisor for the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds. After several years as maintenance supervisor, he accepted the position as secretary-manager of the fair. His duties included helping to plan fair activities, entertainment, and parades, and coordinating public use of the facility during the rest of the year. Ralph served as secretary-manager of the fair until his retirement (26 years later) in 1987. Ralph was very active in the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a branch president and as a priesthood leader several times. He served in the Tulelake community on the city council and as the president of the Tulelake Rotary Club, where he received the Paul Harris Fellow Award. For many years, he served on the Lava Beds National Monument Council. Ralph is survived by his son, Richard Lee Morrill (Debbie) of Salt Lake City; son, Ralph Bart Morrill of Hanford, Calif.; daughter, Faye Morrill Caldwell (Alan) of Klamath Falls; daughter, Linda Morrill Cook (Leslie) of Redlands, Calif.; 19 grandchildren; and 43 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lathel V. Morrill; son, Carl W. Morrill; great-granddaughter, Hannah Isom; sister, Clara Morrill Wahlquist; brothers, Horace L. Morrill Jr., Shardon H. Morrill and Max D. Morrill; and his parents, Horace Leroy Morrill and Clara Elizabeth Bartlett Morrill.
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