Morgan Marie Thiel

A big personality in a tiny body; opinionated; the boss of the family - these are all ways people described Morgan Thiel, a sincere, determined, fun-loving young woman who knew what she wanted in life and went for it with everything she had. Although Morgan's life was briefer than some, she lived it more intensely than many who live far longer.

Morgan came into the world smiling on February 12, 1984, at Bronson Hospital of Kalamazoo. Playful and fun-loving, she brightened the lives of her parents, Robert and Debora Thiel, and her four brothers and sisters, Michael, Mya, Meghan, and Mark. Morgan was born with a cheerful personality, and was never happier as a child than when singing at the top of her lungs. When it was time for her to go to school, Morgan attended first Northeast Elementary School and later Vicksburg Middle School.

Once Morgan set her mind to do something, she was very determined, and she graduated at the top of her class from Portage Central Adult Education. After graduation, she worked as an aid at Progressive Alternative Adult Foster Care. Morgan was always a hard-worker, and never afraid to get her hands dirty. She had hoped to become a nurse, but was prevented by her illness; with her confident, optimistic personality, she would have been a comfort and an inspiration to her patients.

One of the greatest joys in Morgan's life was her family: she was a very family-oriented person. She loved spending time with them, especially her nieces and nephews. She definitely believed in the tough love approach, however - with Morgan, it was her way or the highway. One of the phrases that her family remembers her saying the most often was the demand to "Chew with your mouth shut!" That was the way Morgan lived her whole life: straight-forward and unapologetic. She was an extremely sincere, intense person; there was nothing fake about her. With Morgan, what you saw was what you got.

Just because Morgan had a strong personality and lots of opinions is not to say that she was an overly serious person, however. In fact, Morgan was very fun-loving and had a great sense of humor - she could find humor in anything. She was very warm and caring; in addition to her close family ties and strong friendships, Morgan had a regular menagerie of animals that she cared for throughout her life. The collection included pet pigs, chickens, rats, goats, rabbits, dogs and cats, and her current pet was a dog named Roxie. Morgan's warm, down-to-earth personality could also be seen in her love of food - she was the first one to the table and the last one to leave. She loved going out to restaurants with friends and family; her favorites were Applebee's, Schlotzky's, Theo and Stacey's, and any place with Chinese food.

Morgan had a self-sufficient attitude, as could be seen from her uncanny ability to find a good deal. She was a notorious bargain shopper, and could sniff out a deal anywhere. Although lots of her clothes came from the bargain rack, you could never tell it from looking at her - Morgan took pride in her appearance, and always dressed well according to her own unique sense of style. Her favorite items were always the shoes; her friends accused her of having a "shoe fetish." Although Morgan was currently living with her parents, a while back she was able to get her own apartment. She was very pleased with her independence and with having a place to call her own. Morgan was proud of her possessions - not so much because of what they were, but because she worked hard to earn them.

At the age of eighteen, Morgan discovered she had a blood disorder; it took eight months to diagnose. Under tragic conditions that would cause many to simply give up, Morgan vowed to live through the disease. Despite her illness, Morgan never let the disorder control her life. Morgan was blessed to live the last days of her life surrounded by the people she loved the most, her family.

Morgan Thiel died Monday, January 1, 2007. In addition to Morgan's parents, members of her family include her siblings Michael (Amanda) King of Dryden, Mya (John) Lambert of Vicksburg, Meghan Thiel of Vicksburg, Mark Thiel of Scotts; grandmothers Sandra King and her friend Steve Spence of Kalamazoo, Helen Thiel of Chicago; great-grandmother Donna Good of Bronson; nieces Madison Kay Lambert, Addison Mae King; nephew John Floyd Andrew Lambert; many aunts, uncles, and cousins; and a special four legged friend, her dog Roxie. She was preceded in death by her grandfathers Donald King and Bud Thiel; great-grandfather John Good; and an uncle, Tom Good. Learn more about Morgan, view her life story film, and visit with her family and friends Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, RDMG Vicksburg, 409 S. Main St., where funeral services will be held Friday at 11 a.m. Please visit Morgan's memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can read her life story, archive a memory or photo or, in lieu of flowers, make a memorial donation to her family.