Margaret M. Morgan

Margaret was born June 13, 1914, in Leupp, Ariz. She died May 22, 2011, in Window Rock. Margaret was married to the late Wilbur E. Morgan Sr., son of Jacob C. Morgan, the first elected chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council (1938-1942). They lived in Shiprock, Cortez, and Farmington, settling in Window Rock in 1940. In 1942, Margaret began work as the BIA chief telephone operator for the reservation in Window Rock. Her voice was on the other end of the line when you picked up the phone to make a call. Before retiring Margaret traveled by her personal car to complete an inventory of all telephones and radiotelephones on the Navajo Reservation, which took three years. This survey enabled her to have keen knowledge of the entire Navajo Reservation and names of trades and desolate locations, where there was a phone it was tagged. Margaret retired from the BIA in 1970 with 29 years of service. After retirement she worked seven years with the Navajo Tribal Judicial Department in records management. From 1978 she managed the Shoe Corral store in Tse Bonito, N.M., until it closed in 1994, and in the Fedmart store in the cash vault. Margaret enjoyed traveling and spending family gatherings in San Diego, Albuquerque, and Window Rock. The lung disease that took her life was first diagnosed in December 1999. Survivors include her daughters, Kathy Ritz and Brenda Crooks, both of San Diego; and nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Margaret is preceded in death by her parents, George and Katie (House) Greeley; son, Wilbur E. Morgan Jr.; brother, Robert G. Greeley; sisters, Ora Brodie and Evelyn Luna; and stepmother, Stella Greeley. Urn bearers will be Ric Morgan, Frank Crooks, Karen Nerat, Brian Ritz, and Frankie Ritz. Arrangements are entrusted to: Tse Bonito Mortuary 16 Alma Drive Tse Bonito, New Mexico 87301 (505) 371-5565