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Harold Morgan, 85, a 43-year resident of Albuquerque, passed away Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2002, ten years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Iverna Phelps Morgan of Albuquerque; one sister; one brother; three children; and five grandchildren. Harold had a great zest for life and for his work. He dearly loved his family and friends. He was born in Milburn, Oklahoma, in 1917, and after much moving around as a child, graduated from Classen High School in Oklahoma City, OK, where he was president of the class of 1935. Harold was a member of what has come to be called"the greatest generation," serving the United States in World War II and again during the Korean War. He joined the Oklahoma National Guard in 1939, and served in the African Middle East Command during World War II. He was recalled to the Air Force in 1950 and served at during the Korean War at Walker Air Force Base in Roswell. He closed his military service as a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force Reserve in 1968. He received an L.L.B. degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Law in 1947. He earned the law degree without receiving a bachelor's degree, a remarkable accomplishment, and later was awarded a Juris Doctor degree. He was a member of the bar association in Oklahoma and New Mexico. Harold was a member of the Masonic Order, Siloam Lodge 276 Oklahoma City; the Scottish Rite Valley of Guthrie, OK; Ballut Abyad Shrine, Greeter Patrol in Albuquerque. Harold joined Kerr McGee Corporation in 1949. He was a uranium industry pioneer in New Mexico. As an attorney for Kerr McKee, Harold was part of a team seeking and developing uranium and other minerals in New Mexico and across the West. The team helped develop large deposits of uranium in the Ambrosia Lake area near Grants, NM, and in Wyoming, helping set off a mining boom in Grants and playing a key role in supplying the nation's need for uranium for defense purposes during the 1950s and nuclear power plants. Uranium brought Harold, Iverna and their children to Albuquerque in 1960. Harold became the first full time general manager of Ranchers Exploration and Development Corporation, a firm holding mineral rights for properties in Ambrosia Lake. The vision for Ranchers Exploration was to build a series of businesses using the royalties from the mining properties. Ranchers Banks of Belen are a continuing legacy of that vision. Harold and Iverna's children are Connie Matzen of Raleigh, NC, husband, Vernon Matzen and her children, Sarick Matzen and Kathryn Matzen, Harold Morgan of Albuquerque, his wife, Susan Bennett and his children, Kathy Morgan and Tom Morgan, and Tom Morgan of Denver, wife, Alison Morgan and his son, Ryan Morgan. Harold's sister is Virginia Carter of Oklahoma City, OK; his brother is Kenneth Morgan of Yukon, OK. Funeral Services will be 10:00 a.m., Monday, December 2, 2002, at French Mortuary, University Blvd. Chapel, 1111 University Blvd. NE. Internment will be at 3:00 p.m., December 2, 2002, at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Donations in his honor may be made to the Ballut Abyad Shrine transportation fund, 6600 Zuni SE, Albuquerque, 87108. Arrangements by French Mortuary, 1111 University Blvd. NE.
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