KAREN ELIZABETH MORRISON

It is with tremendous sadness, that the family of Karen Elizabeth Morrison announce her passing after a courageous battle with cancer. Karen died peacefully on December 2, 2001 at home surrounded by the love and support of her family and friends.
Karen was born April 6, 1945 to Fritz and Tillie Glava at International Falls, Minnesota. She graduated from Falls High School in 1963 and attended Bemidji University.
She married the love of her life, Bill Morrison, November 25, 1967 in International Falls, MN and moved to Fort Frances, ON.
During her lifetime, Karen worked for the Pillsbury Company
in Minneapolis, Boise Cascade in International Falls, the Fort Frances Times and the Northwestern Health Unit before turning to teaching at Confederation College, which was the highlight of her career. She was both teacher and friend to her students. She loved them and felt great pride in their accomplishments, and
each student that she taught held a special place in her heart.
The most important part of the mosaic of Karen’s life was her family. She felt that Bill, Bill Jr., and Chantal were truly a gift from God and then felt doubly blessed when Tara, Amber, Madison
and Brock were added to it, and she deeply loved them all.
Her granddaughters, Amber and Madison, brought her
immense joy and truly “lit up her life”.
Karen’s love of nature and God’s creatures knew no bounds.
The houseboat excursions on Rainy Lake throughout the years brought her such pleasure,
tranquility and peace, and the beauty of her surroundings always held her in awe of God’s creations.
And if it had been within her power, she would have given a home to every homeless dog, cat or any other
of God’s Creatures. The Library was also a source of pleasure for her and reading was one of her
favourite pastimes. She was devoted to her friends and treasured her relationship with them.
Karen is survived by her husband of 34 years, Bill; son, Bill Jr.; daughter-in-law, Tara, and granddaughters,
Amber-lyn and Madison, of Fort Frances; daughter, Chantal, and son-in-law, Brock Lambert, of Thunder Bay;
her devoted creature, Aayshah-Marie; sister-in-law, Christy and nephew, Phillip Glava, of Phoenix; brother Jim and sister-in-law Dean and nephew James Glava of Phoenix; sister Debbie, brother-in-law, Randy, and nieces, Annie, Liz
and Erika Ciminski of International Falls; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Randy and Brenda, nieces Katie and April, and nephew, Austin Morrison of Bergland; sister-in-law and brother-in law Sherry and Dr. Matt, nephew, Stefan and niece, Daniella Gysler of Oakville; sister-in-law, Mary Lou Morrison, of Australia, godson, Bart Olson
of Minneapolis; goddaughter, Millie Chan-Chornopski of Dryden and very special cousin, Erika Hallisch of Virginia. She is also survived by her “second” family in “Orchids and Friends” and “Friends of Health”.
She was predeceased by her mother, Tillie Glava, in 1987; stepmother Cecile Glava in 1987; father, Fritz Glava
in 1993, her brother, Larry Glava on November 6, 2000 and her devoted dog Red Fred in the spring of 2001
Pallbearers will be her friends, Dr. Wade and Pearl Himes, Lloyd and Arlene Hoffman, John and Chai Chan,
Bud and Pat Carlson, Glen and Carol Edwards and Rick and Tyra Hammond.
Honourary pallbearers will be her friends Madeleine Lindberg, Karen Bergstrom,
Karen Piekarski, Elsie Ball, Bonnie Lambert and Heather Kidd.
If friends so desire, although Karen loved flowers, she stated she would prefer and would appreciate a random act of kindness done in her memory, or a donation to one of two causes she held close to her heart, The Fort Frances Friends of Animals, P.O. Box 545, Fort Frances, ON P9A 3M8, which would enable homeless animals in finding a loving home or to Friends of the
Library, 363 Church Street, Fort Frances,
ON P9A 1C9 so they can extend the
reading enjoyment for others.
Visitation will be held at the Green
Funeral Home, 600 Reid Street, Fort
Frances, on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001
from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Funeral services will be held
Wednesday, December 5, 2001 at
2 p.m. at the Knox United Church,
340 Church Street, Fort Frances.
Reverend Marietta Marshall will
officiate with interment to follow
at the Riverview Cemetery.
A special memorial tribute for Karen
has been set up by a very special person
in Karen’s life, Ruth Ann Mahaffey
of Grafton, West Virginia, and can
be viewed at Ruth Ann’s Memories
web site at http://www.geocities.com
/Heartland/Hollow/8640/Karen2.htm
or can be viewed at
http://www.geocities.com
/Heartland/Hollow/8640.htm