Agnes Frieda Morgan was born in Willow City, North Dakota on March 5, 1923, the youngest of five children. Her parents Herman and Hulda Bieberdorf, were German farmers, who fled Poland during the Bolshevik Revolution to settle in the harsh farmlands of North Dakota. In 1941, with World War II in full swing, and America calling on civilians to do their part, a young Agnes boarded a westbound train to Seattle, to work at the Boeing factory. She often described the moment of boarding that train to her children and grandchildren. Having never left North Dakota, she was filled with excitement. Then, standing on that train she looked around to see it was full of young men, wearing dread on their faces, and she realized these men were heading to war. It was this ability to look beyound herself that made Agnes special. No matter what was happening in her own life, she was always conscious of the needs of others. Eventually, her train reached Wenatchee. It was the beginning of spring, and the orchards were blooming, and she thought to herself, “I’ve reached the land my mother told me about. The land of milk and honey.” Upon arriving in Seattle, she was hired at Boeing as a real life “Rosie Riviter,” and would often tell people about how she once worked on General Macarthur’s plane.
In 1947, she met her husband Albert Morgan, while interpreting a German letter for one of his friends. They would marry on May 29, 1947, and have five children, who they raised in South Seattle. There were two girls and three boys: Gaydene, Wendy, Mike, Ricky, and Brian. They would lose their son Ricky to cancer. It was what Agnes often described as one of the hardest moments of her life. “Your child is not supposed to die before you,” she’d say. After retiring from Associated Grocers as a ten key punch operator, Agnes and Albert moved to Whidbey Island, joining their children Wendy and Mike. On Whidbey, she became a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland, where she was a member for many years.
What Agnes will be remembered for most is her love. She was always willing and wanting to help her family. When someone needed a place to live, she offered it. A grandson, or great grandson in need of child care? She was there to provide a hand. Her favorite thing in life was her family, and she would always light up at the sight of their faces and the sounds of their voices. In total she had 13 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and 5 great great grandchildren. Each of them loved the same, and thought of them as her own. And with each newborn to the family, her birthday card list would grow longer.
On January 4, 2022, Agnes Frieda Morgan left this world, with her friend by her side. And when she left it, she left a hole in the lives of her family and those she’d touched. But she also left behind a love which transcends, and a love that her family will carry forward to hopefully touch the lives of others, in the way that she touched so many. And with her passing there may be fewer birthday cards arriving in the mail, but as we remember her, we will not forge what it feels like to be loved unconditionally. There will be a Memorial Service at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland, on March 5, 2022 at 11:00 am.
