Grace Gingles Morgan

Grace Gingles Morgan, beloved wife of the Rev. Donald W. Morgan, Minister Emeritus of the First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday (April 28, 2010) surrounded by her loving family. Grace was born in the mining town of Hardburly, Kentucky, near Hazard, where her father spent a lifetime as the community doctor. From the start, she was an outstanding student, beginning with home education under her mother, a professional teacher. She was active in her church, the Presbyterian Church, and became the state president of the Presbyterian youth organization. She was accepted at Wellesley College where she became a religion major and was elected to the national honorary society of Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. She graduated from Wellesley with highest honors. Then she undertook graduate study work at Union Theological Seminary in the fall of 1950, pursuing the master of Divinity degree. It was during her first fall at Union that she met Donald W. Morgan from Lexington, MA, who, in the course of time, became her husband. They were married in 1952 at the Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green, KY, where Grace's parents had moved following her father's retirement from medical practice. Grace and Don's first child, Gail Leslie, was born in New York City in February 1953 during their final season there. It was while Grace was nursing her first child that she was awarded Union's top prize, the Traveling Fellowship, for academic excellence. Though this could have meant two years of study abroad, she declined the award in order to focus on being a mother and wife. In June 1953, all three left New York City and moved to Northfield, VT, where Don accepted a call to The United Church in that college town. He was ordained to the Christian Ministry in Northfield on July 26, 1953. Grace mothered six children-Gail (Ash-Morgan), Bradford born in 1955, Carol (Hinostroza) in 1959, Rebecca (Aldabarca) in 1960, Todd in 1966, and Benjamin in 1970-excelling in all respects as a mother and wife. In addition to her six children, she had seventeen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Early in her/their time in Wethersfield, she became Director of Recreation at Elm Hill Nursing Home. Then, in September 1982, she was asked by First Church to become Director of Caring Ministries, to organize a new program of comprehensive pastoral care which would enlist lay ministry. In the years that followed, Grace developed one of the most outstanding programs of caring ministry anywhere to be found and was often consulted by other churches interested in developing some such programs for themselves. She retired as Director of Caring Ministries in 1995. Additionally, she played a major role in Hartford's Habitat for Humanity. When Don first visited Grace's family and friends in Kentucky prior to their marriage, he was told by the mother of one of her close friends, 'Grace Gingles can do anything!' That pretty well sums it up! Most people would agree! She was the youngest of three, having two older brothers, now deceased- both of whom became dentists, George Mercer Gingles of Paris, Kentucky and Carl Gingles of Ann Arbor, Michigan. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, May 4 at 2 p.m. at First Church of Christ, 250 Main St., Wethersfield with the Rev. T. Michael McDowell officiating. Burial will be private in Village Cemetery, Wethersfield. There are no calling hours. Memorial contributions may be made to First Church of Christ or Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 1933, Hartford, CT 06144. The D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield is entrusted with the arrangements. For online expressions of sympathy, please visit www.desopo.com.