Kent Edward Morgan

Kent Edward Morgan passed away at home surrounded by family on August 21, 2019, due to complications of age. He took his last breath just at the moment the family finished singing at his bedside, “I Am a Child of God.”
He was born in Price, Utah, to Edna Marcella Guymon and Edward Evan Morgan on January 11, 1933. As a young boy he contracted polio. He gained a great desire to overcome his physical limitations and fought to achieve normal life activity. He grew strong through much determination and exercise. His family moved to Sacramento, California, where he eventually became captain of the track team at Sacramento High School. He set a California State record in the Pole Vault, with a bamboo pole, that still stands to this day. Shortly after that record was set the fiberglass pole replaced bamboo, so his record was not challenged. There was even talk about him training for the Olympics, but he decided to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While in Sacramento, he earned his Eagle Scout award along with his father who, in those days as a Scoutmaster, was able to earn this rank along with the boys. He was very proud to sit in the Eagle’s Nest as all of his sons earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He was honored to receive the distinguished Silver Beaver Award in Scouting.
Kent was called on a mission to the Spanish-American mission where he served for 2 1/2 years in New Mexico and Texas. He always said he was given the gift of tongues as an early missionary when he was asked to speak in church before he learned the language. He assumed he spoke English, but his companion assured him that the whole talk was in Spanish. He was able to speak the language from that time forward. He had many spiritual experiences during these years and gained a great love for the Mexican people. Elder Morgan had many missionary companions who became life-long friends, two of whom he named sons after: Marty McCoy and Max Waters.
While serving in Houston Texas he met Esther Rae Young from Springville, Utah, at a fireside. They started to communicate by letters, and after his mission he asked her to marry him. They were married in the Manti Temple on June 1,1956. Nine months and five days later the first of six sons was born and life as a father commenced.
He attended Brigham Young University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree. While at university he worked at the Utah State Mental Hospital and drove an oil truck for Christensen Oil.
He taught seminary at Spanish Fork, Springville, and Weber High Schools. He then transferred to the newly formed LDS Indian Placement Program where he was a caseworker and traveled many times to the Indian Reservations throughout Arizona and New Mexico. During his years with the Indian Placement Program, he studied at the University of Utah and earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work. With degrees from both universities he was proudly both Red and Blue, but he always felt he was really a BYU Cougar. As a caseworker, he was transferred to Mobridge, South Dakota, to work with the Sioux people. While there he served as a Branch President and in the presidency of the South Dakota Mission. He then moved back to Utah and lived in Springville where he worked for LDS Social Services as a social worker. He served for many years on the Springville Kolob Stake High Council and then in the Stake Presidency. After retiring from work with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he started his second career with the Division of Family Services for the State of Utah.
He and Esther Rae were divorced in 1991. On March 13, 1992, he was married to Dana Sue Powell in the Salt Lake Temple by his father. This union created a large, blended family.
Kent and Sue were called to serve in the Texas San Antonio Mission where they served in some of the same areas as he had as a young missionary years earlier.
He had a great knowledge of Church History and collected many rare and important books on this subject. He loved Louis L’Amour stories and had a complete collection of all of these novels. He loved hunting and instilled a love of hunting in many of his sons and grandsons. He also had a passion for old cars especially 1955-56 Ford F-100 pickups and his 1931 Deluxe Model A Roadster. He was a life-long gardener. His major life component was service to others through his family and work.
After retiring from the State, he drove cars for Avis, shuttling them from airports in Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. He loved driving. He drove all the dusty roads on Indian Reservations in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Dakotas where his little Beatle Volkswagens were known by the native people as Brother Morgan’s Little Car. He also drove all over the West servicing the family-run greeting card accounts.
After Sue became ill, he drove about 100 miles roundtrip each day so he could spend the day with his Sweetheart and still sleep in his own bed. Sometimes he even drove back and forth twice in a day, taking a break with a nap in between at home. After Sue died, he dove countless times from West Jordan to Orem so he could go with his son, Scott, on appliance repair service calls. It was very hard on him a few weeks ago when, at age 86, he was no longer allowed to drive.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Sue, his sons Matthew and Emerson Soue, his granddaughter Mariah, and his sister, Marcia.
He is survived by his children Mark and Sujitra, Mike and Susan, Tony and Joan Sippert; Scott, Marty and Lydia, Monty and Natalie Billie, Max and Becky; and step-children Debbie and Rocky Walker, Pixie and Kerry Calderwood, Doug and Melanie McKean; Jani Thomas, Jill and Val Westergaard, Michelle McKean, Jerry and Mandy McKean; many, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; sisters Myrleen and Kay, and brother Harold.
There will be viewings on Tuesday evening, August 27, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday morning, August 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., with funeral services to follow at 11:00 a.m. Both viewings and funeral will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 9376 South 4000 West, West Jordan, UT.
Service Information
Viewing August 27, 2019 at 6:00 - 8:00 PM
9376 South 4000 West, West Jordan, Utah





Viewing August 28, 2019 at 9:30 - 10:30 AM
9376 South 4000 West, West Jordan, Utah





Funeral Service
August 28, 2019 at 11:00 AM
9376 South 4000 West, West Jordan, Utah