BILLINGS, MONTANA - Ginger Rhealene Morris, 67, of Cowley, Wyoming, died Friday, April 23, 2021, in Billings after battling cancer for the third time during her lifetime.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cowley, Wyoming.
Haskell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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She first conquered cancer in 1993, and then after she had been cancer free for 10 years, cancer attacked again in 2003. Cancer came back a third time in July 2020, and even though she fought it valiantly and had excellent help from her doctors, she did not survive its third attack.
Ginger was born Oct. 3, 1953, in Kearney to her parents Bernard and Shirley Erpelding. She was the 5th child in a family of 6 children, having 4 brothers and one sister. Her parents divorced early in her life, and her mother remarried, so she was raised by her stepfather, George Ginder. George moved the family to Canyon City, Oregon, while he worked in the logging business. Unfortunately, during their few years in Oregon her two brothers, Randy and Ladd, drowned while rafting on a river. Their bodies were never found. Later the family moved back to Kearney.
Ginger graduated from Kearney High School in 1972 and then attended school in California for a couple years before returning home. It was in Kearney where she then met the love of her life, Gerald Morris. Jerry had moved to Kearney to attend Kearney State College while continuing his service (1970-1976) with the Army in active duty and reserve duty. Ginger met Jerry while they were both working part-time jobs at a drive-in theater in Kearney. After about a yearlong courtship, Ginger and Jerry were married on July 17, 1975. They were blessed with the birth of their son Christopher on July 9, 1981.
Ginger had many interests, hobbies and talents. She enjoyed crocheting and collecting Lincoln pennies. She loved to cook, especially meals with several courses for the holidays. Gardening was another favorite activity, and she was willing to grow anything except tomatoes. Her family and friends always laughed because she had a firm gardening rule: no tomatoes!
Ginger had a particular fondness for games; she loved to play card games like Phase 10, Uno, Pitch, Spades and cribbage, too. Politics were important to Ginger, and she was always up for a good political discussion. She was a card-carrying member of the NRA and proud of it. Ginger was also involved with the Boy Scouts and served as a den mother and often took the kids hiking and camping. Camping was always a fun family activity, too.
Ginger spent most of her professional life involved with bookkeeping and accounting. She worked for Good Samaritan Hospital, CSS Farms and Culligan Water in Nebraska.
When Ginger and Jerry were planning their retirements, they traveled all over Wyoming looking for a home since they had vacationed in Yellowstone and loved the area. They found their dream home with a big front porch in Cowley. They even bought a Jeep and a side-by-side to enjoy our beautiful countryside. After moving to Cowley in 2016, Ginger worked for First Bank of Wyoming in Powell first as a teller, then in the call center, and finally in deposit services. She loved working at the bank and considered her coworkers as good friends. She worked until her cancer kept her at home or in the hospital.
Ginger was preceded in death by her birth parents, Bernard and Shirley; her stepfather, George Ginder; and her two older brothers, Randy and Ladd.
She is survived by her loving husband Gerald; their son Chris and his fiancé Dena; her brothers, Leonard and Richard; and her sister Geraldine.