After a brief and fierce battle with cancer, Cindy Morgan, of Terre Haute, passed away on Tuesday May 6, 2025, at the age of 68. In her last days she was surrounded by loving and devoted family and friends, telling stories, saying prayers and sharing wishes for one another. She was heartbroken to leave so soon, but not afraid to die and looking forward to reuniting with those dear family members already in heaven. The promise of the reunion with those beloved was a great comfort to those she left behind.

Cindy Lee Morgan arrived in the world on December 22, 1956, to Lois and Earl Morgan of Prairieton, Indiana. She spent that very first Christmas in her mother's arms, with her father and big sister Lou Ann happily awaiting their homecoming. Idyllic and full of love and laughter, Cindy's earliest years were spent happy and sweet with devoted parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins galore. They welcomed a little brother, Scott, just a few years after Cindy to complete the family picture.

Days of playing on blankets on the living room floor turned into seasons running barefoot in the grass, playing with kittens, setting the table for family dinners, sleepovers with cousins, ice skating, dolls, books, piano lessons with grandma, 4-H, Sunday School, VBS, and Prairieton Grade School. Life was homework at the counter while Mom made dinner, Barbies on the bedroom floor with Lou Ann, all day outdoor adventures with Scott and the neighbor kids, and Dad coming home from work with hugs and reminders.

Cindy was an excellent student, an independent thinker, and a creative problem solver. She loved learning, reading, and writing. She attended Indiana University, earning degrees in English and Library Science. With all her academic successes, she had time between classes for numerous "adventures" with her friends which later became stories she told to her nieces and nephews. Those early friendships were lifelong, and their bonds were as dear and as strong as family.

After graduation, Cindy began her teaching career at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. She spent the next 44 years teaching thousands of students from all over the world to speak, write, and communicate in English and above all, how to be life-long learners. With dedication, devotion, great humor, and generous understanding, Cindy taught classes, directed programs, and trained fellow teachers. Her career came full circle when she returned to SMWC to revive and direct the English Language Institute and later also became the International Student Advisor.

Devoted and generous with her time to her family and friends, Cindy lived in the present and enjoyed every moment spent in laughter, discussion, argument, and play. She was always there for milestone moments and everyday ones too: football games, dance recitals, church musicals, graduations, weddings, funerals, baby showers, speed Scrabble, parades, and parties of all kinds. She loved babies and children, dogs and cats, cool shoes, music, literature, collecting weird stuff, and the beach. She saw beauty in forgotten things, saw art in broken items of the past. She was tender-hearted and sentimental and at the same time sarcastic and funny. She was known for her quick wit, her elaborate stories, and she loved a good project. Most recently her projects included creating a memorial celebration for fallen soldiers from Prairieton, curating a room for church history at Prairieton church, rescuing discarded antique books from dumpsters, and leading the community effort to prevent Dollar General from developing in the green space beside Prairieton church.

Throughout her adult life, Cindy was never without a dog or two. She loved her dogs and showered them with care and attention. Those dogs of the past, who were her best friends, surely were watching and waiting for her arrival, for it would not be a heaven for Cindy without them and their wagging tails, happy smiles, and adventures.

As she now has reunited with those beloved in heaven, we are sad she is no longer with us, but we have the blessed assurance that we will see her again with more and new stories to catch up on. The list of loved ones is long. It includes her sister and brother, Lou Ann and Donnie Pence; her friends Molly Moulton, Lori Diedrich, Glenda Major, and cousins Jean Ann Shell, Brian and Michele Francis, Kathy Dickerson, Marcy Boyle and many, many more who sacrificed their own lives to stay with and care for Cindy during her illness; nieces and nephews Sara Quah and Mike Gardner, Nathan and Stephanie Pence, Courtney Morgan, Luke and Sarah Morgan, and Mark and Pam Quah; great nieces and nephews Lexi and Tanner Scarff with Hudson and Maggie, Lizzie Quah Day and Mitch Day with Winne and Bonnie, Mallory Quah, Caleb Jones, Evan Quah, Zach Morgan, Michael Gardner, Andrew Morgan, Armon Gardner, Samantha Morgan, Isaiah Gardner, Mara Pence, and Rhys Pence.

We will miss her for the rest of our days, and just like she always did, we will tear up when we hear a certain song or feel her absence in life's moments. But as we have all promised her, we will keep telling her stories and remember all her lessons. Her life was a great story, and we were all a part of it.

The celebration of Cindy's life will be held at Prairieton United Methodist Church on May 18, 2025, at 2:30 in the afternoon with dinner following in the church basement. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Prairieton UMC. Those who wish to contribute food or drinks for the dinner should contact Lou Ann at (309) 533-0009.

"She Is Gone"

by David Harkins

You can shed tears that she is gone

Or you can smile because she has lived

You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back

Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her

Or you can be full of the love that you shared