Claude Orin Morin, 97, of Brookings, a former Baker County resident, died Feb. 13, 2008, at a Brookings hospital of age-related causes.
His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St.
He was born on March 30, 1910, at the mouth of Pine Creek in Baker County. He was the sixth of nine children born to Lewis Calvin and Laura Ellen Phillips Morin.
As a young child, he moved to Hereford, where the family homesteaded a cattle ranch. He attended school in Haines. He was a 1933 graduate of Oregon State University at Corvallis where he earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry.
On Dec. 31, 1930, he married Olive Josephine Harrison at Weiser, Idaho. The couple made their first home at Sumpter. They had three sons, Claude Jr., Harold and Forest. Mrs. Morin died on June 20, 1964.
Mr. Morin married Elaine Horne Liddell on April 28, 1972. She died on April 19, 2007.
He was employed by the U.S. Forest Service, and the family moved with his employment transfers to Wisconsin and several areas of Oregon and Idaho. He was stationed in New Meadows, Idaho, for 13 years before transferring to the regional office at Ogden, Utah.
His final career move was to the national headquarters in Washington, D.C. Mr. Morin retired from the Forest Service in 1973.
In retirement, Mr. Morin traveled extensively throughout the United States and to many areas of the world including Egypt and the Holy Lands, Spain and other European countries. The Morins were members of the first group to travel to China after the opening of the country to visitors during the Nixon administration.
He was currently a member of the Brookings Presbyterian Church. While living at Ogden, he was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and in Idaho, the Methodist Church. Ecumenical in thought, the family usually attended the church nearest their home while the children were growing up.
Mr. Morin was a talented fix-it guy, and enjoyed making repairs to many things, his family members said. He was a perfectionist and a very hard worker by nature. He had a winning smile, a good sense of humor, was affectionate and non-judgmental, and was everyone’s favorite uncle in the family, they said.
In younger years, he loved to dance, and while in New Meadows, Idaho, he started the community’s first Boy Scout troop.
He loved to grow flowers, and while living at Ogden, had planted and tended a large rose garden around the church and his home.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Claude Jr. and Bonnie Morin of Brookings; grandchildren, Laurie Larson, and her husband, Don, of Beaverton, Kelvin “Kelly” and his wife, Paula Morin, of Salem, Kolleen Bennett and her husband, Dennis, of Weston, Joe Morin and his wife, Stephanie, and Peggy Crow and her husband, Tom, all of Brookings, and Trudy Kessler and her husband, Ed, of Sandy, Utah; stepchildren, Scott and his wife, Skuntala Liddell, and Gary Liddell, all of Ogden, Utah, Kathy Bolte and Dr. Bob Bolte, both of Salt Lake City; daughters-in-law, Judy Morin of Salt Lake City and LaDonna Osborn of Appleton, Wash.; and 10 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wives; two sons, Harold and Forest; four brothers, Vernell, Ted, Pierce and Glen; and two sisters, Gladys and Nellie; and an infant brother and sister , who were born prior to Claude’s birth.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Brookings Presbyterian Church Building Fund, 540 Pacific, Brookings, OR 97415; or to the First Presbyterian Church of Ogden, 880 28th St., Ogden, UT 84403.
The Redwood Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. For more information, call 866-469-9112.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, February 20, 2008
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor