Garland R. Morse dies at 90
Garland R. Morse, age 90, of Decorah, died Friday, June 10, 2016 at Patty Elwood Center in Cresco.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at Decorah Lutheran Church with Rev. David Sorenson and Rev. Charis Combs-Lay officiating. Interment will be in Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah with Full Military Honors by Decorah’s Veterans and Military Organizations, and U.S. Army personnel.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 20 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, with a Masonic Service at 6:30 p.m. Monday, and on Tuesday, beginning at 10 a.m., one hour before the service, at Decorah Lutheran Church.Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah is serving the family.Online condolences may be made at www.fjelstul.com
Garland Royal Morse was born Dec. 31, 1925 in Clear Lake Iowa, the son of Bertrum and Janet (Corbin) Morse. About age 9, his family moved to New Hampton. He graduated from New Hampton High School with the class of 1944. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII, and was stationed in the Philippines. After his service, he graduated from Gates Business College in Waterloo, IA, and worked at the Equity in Nashua.
Garland married Wilma M. Poppe on Aug. 6, 1950 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Nashua. He graduated from the Iowa State Police Academy and became an Iowa Highway Patrolman in 1951, stationed in Decorah, so he and Wilma moved to Decorah. He built their home here and raised their family. Garland was a private pilot and flight instructor, a member of the Decorah Fire Department, Member of and Past Grand Master of the Great Lights Masonic Lodge, Iowa State Police Association, past member of Silvercrest Golf and Country Club, Elks Lodge, VFW, and Decorah Lutheran Church. Garland retired in 1981, after 30 years of service as an Iowa State Trooper, with his last position being Community Service officer. He was actually busier in retirement, working for Scenic Hawkeye Stages Bus Company, Ben Franklin store with “Doc” Moore, and Decorah Schools as bus driver. Garland enjoyed wood working, fishing, hunting, boating, camping, building model air planes and “The Cabin”. He was a loving husband and father, grandfather (“Papa”), and great-grandfather. Garland lived a full and service filled life and will be greatly missed by family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant son Bernard; his siblings: Bertram and Emmabelle Morse, Marion “Skip” and Evelyn Morse, Gordon and Gladys Morse, David and Thelma Morse, Dale and Marie “Gil” Morse, June and Chuck Mock; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Virgil Lehmann, Edmund and Alma Poppe, Caroline and George Menken, George Ellis Lydia and Vincent “Ding” Dingfelder, and Melba and Dalton Compton.
Garland is survived by his wife of 65 years, Wilma; his three children: Charles G. Morse and wife Lea of Highlands Ranch, Colo. and their two children: Riley Morse and Kaysha Morse; Roger H. Morse of Decorah and his three children: Crystal Hakari, fiancé Brian Kademan and their family of Eau Claire Wisc., Bridgette Imrick, fiancé Billy Cocciante and their family of Rice Lake, Wisc., and Roger G.T. Morse and his son of Rice Lake Wisc.; Karen Morse Winter and husband Terry of Postville, their two children: Liz Winter Seitz, husband Ron, of West Union, and Eric T. Winter of Postville; nine great-grandchildren; Abby, Lilly, Dustin, Olivia, Katlyn, Andrew, Brent, Kendra, Brody; his sister, Janet “Tommy” Lehman of Fredericksburg; sister-in-law Myrtle Poppe, Yucaipa, Calif; two brothers-in-law and their wives, Wilbur and Yvonne Poppe of Denton, Texas and Harold and Audrey Poppe of Decorah; and by numerous nieces and nephews.
