Susan Morphew was born on June 6, 1944. Any history buff will recognize that date for its importance to our nation. Incidentally, while Susan was getting her first look at Mason City, Iowa, her father was a sailor in the U.S.Navy! After graduating from North Iowa Area Community College (N.I.A.C.C.) in Mason City, Susan went on to become a graduate of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Upon graduation in 1970, she taught fourth grade in the Ida Grove, Iowa, Community Schools for one year.
Larry Morphew was born on July 18, 1942, in Nora Springs, Iowa. Larry, like Susan, attended N.I.A.C.C. and Buena Vista. As a matter of fact, Susan and Larry attended college together as a married couple with children. While a student at Buena Vista, Larry served for three years as pastor of the United Methodist Church in Nemaha, Iowa. Later, while teaching in Estherville, he served for four years as Pastor of the United Presbyterian Church in Armstrong, Iowa. Larry is an ordained minister and received the bulk of his theological training through the General Board of Ministry of the United Methodist Church - Nashville. Larry retired from the ministry in the 1980's but still officiates at family baptisms, weddings and funerals as the need arises.
Sue and Larry have three grown children.
Melinda (Mindy) Johnson, their oldest, is also a graduate of Buena Vista and holds a Master's Degree from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She has also completed her studies in Ed. Administration. She presently works as an administrator at a school district in Colorado. Mindy is the mother of two of Sue's and Larry's granddaughters, Alexandra (Univ. Masters Degree in Education - Teaching this year in a Spanish speaking teaching position) and Rachael (Univ. Masters Degree in Architecture). Mindy's husband, Jeff, is also an administrator at a school in Colorado.
ALEXANDRA and RACHAEL 1-3-05
Alan (Al), Sue's and Larry's second is a singer/songwriter. He has just released a new CD (his third)! Al maintains a professional website as a solo artist and songwriter and for his band Alan Morphew and The Hit where you may download clips from his new solo CD - click HERE to access that website (the music playing in the background on this webpage is from that CD.) Alan's wife, Sarah, is a professional photographer and you may access her professional website HERE! Because of their work, they spend a lot of time traveling and living on the road. They spend a lot of each year living in Iowa and they maintain a recording studio and photography studio here on the acreage. The rest of the year they spend mostly on the left and right coasts and points in between performing and doing photography gigs. Al and Sarah both work in the family business as well (designing websites and doing high-end digital graphics.)
Christopher (Chris) is Sue's and Larry's youngest. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Harvard University, and Stanford University where he received his Ph.D.. He is a department chair and professor at the University of Iowa. Chris's wife Tanya Kooi is a graduate of Iowa State University and the University of Iowa and holds a Master's Degree in Financial Counseling. Chris and Tanya have three children, Anthony Kooi Morphew, who was born 11/00, Samuel Kooi Morphew, born 11/02 and Clara Kooi Morphew born 2/07. Despite our attempts to indoctrinate them, they seem to be growing into avid Hawkeye fans! Eventually we hope to help them see that there is really only one football game out there and we will continue to promote the "Irish" at every conceivable opportunity. Clara seems to be coming around to our way of thinking on this hot topic!
Sue and Larry both retired from teaching public school in Estherville, Iowa effective May of 2000. They taught 29 years in the Estherville school district. Sue taught self-contained third grade at Lincoln Elementary School and served as building head and Larry taught eighth grade science and math at the Estherville Middle School and served as the school district's photographer. Since retirement in 2000, Sue has been an instructor at Iowa Lakes Community College at Laker Alternative High School in Estherville. She retired from that teaching position in May, 2006. Larry continues to work as a web designer in retirement.
Sue and Larry reside on a 23 acre hobby farm nestled in the woods on the outskirts of Estherville. The oneness with nature which they experience there is an important element of the respite their acreage provides.
Both Sue and Larry would choose to spend as much time as possible with their children and grandchildren. When this is not possible, Sue enjoys sewing, Native American Art (particularly beading), music, writing and reading. Larry enjoys photography (he has worked as a part-time professional photographer from 1962 - 2006, specializing in weddings and other candid photography), studying about the American Civil War, watching and home coaching Notre Dame Football ;-), classic and antique cars and trucks and music. He is the programmer and photographer for Morphew Website Design (specializing in commercial and personal website construction and candid photography). Larry is also a collector of Oliver memorabilia. He worked as a technical writer for White Farm Equipment - Oliver Farm Machinery from 1962-1967 writing Oliver and Cockshutt operator's manuals, shop manuals, service bulletins and instruction sheets.
In October, 2011 we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in Italy and Sicily. We took a posse with us consisting of Mindy and her husband Jeff and their two adult daughters Alex and Rachael, Chris and his wife Tanya, and Alan and his wife Sarah. A few highlights were spending a day in Sue's grandfather's hometown of Gizzeria, Italy and meeting very friendly people there that had heard of Grandpa Tony and admired him very much for moving to the United States as a teenager. We were treated like rock stars in that tiny farming community and got to see the home that Grandpa Tony was raised in. Another vivid memory was going from Gizzeria to Barcellona Pozzo De Gotto, Sicily to meet Teresa Cambria who lives there and who is a cousin of Sue's dad. Again just a memory of a lifetime. Sue is so loved by her extended family. Finally, spending a week in Rome and seeing all of the sites there. It was a grand trip and a special way to celebrate 50 years together as husband and wife.
Clicking HERE will take you to some of our family pictures from around 1965 on.
Abraham, Martin and John - dedicated their lives to the advancement of human rights on this planet. All three of them were killed while trying to bring equality to this nation and to our world.
This link will take you to our page dedicated to Abraham Lincoln.
This link will take you to our page dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This link will take you to our page dedicated to John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Above is the young man from Uganda that we sponsored for 8 years. His name is Tomasi Tegu. He wants to become a lawyer. Because of Tegu's age, we can no longer sponsor him through the Christian Children's Fund (C.C.F.) They have assigned another little fellow to our sponsorship instead (below). He is also from Uganda and his name is Silas Jjemba. He is six years old and was deserted by his parents. His grandmother is raising him in extreme poverty. It has been of keen interest to us to see the changes, as evidenced by photos received, in his appearance. Because of his involvement in C.C.F., he appears to be much more healthy, better dressed, and happier. The need throughout the world is so great, and it takes so little to help. Recently we sent him a small package of photos, pencils, chewing gum and the like. He wrote back to thank us and at the end of the note he added, "I love to eat cakes." Pretty good hint of what we should send next time! ;-)
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