Timothy Dean Morris (born Timothy Alton Herfendal), 40, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at his home in Raleigh, N.C.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at the Evergreen Community Church in Raleigh, with Bright Funeral Home and Cremation handling the arrangements.
Local memorial services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Sion Lutheran Church, 4527 Finch Ave., rural Lake Mills, Iowa, with the Rev. Randy Baldwin officiating. Inurnment will be in Sion Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be one hour prior to services at the church.
A Timothy Morris Memorial Fund has been established at Wake Forest Federal Bank, P.O. Box 1167, 302 S. Brooks St., Wake Forest, NC 27588. This fund has been established to help Rick and Nathan pay some of the expenses that would go unpaid due to the recent loss of Tim’s income at The Body Shop.
Timothy Dean Morris was born July 23, 1968, in Mason City, Iowa, to Lorraine Morris and Arden Herfendal. He was baptized and confirmed at Sion Lutheran Church, rural Lake Mills. He attended and graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1986, and went immediately into the United States Army. Timothy served at various bases in the United States and overseas in Germany, Panama, and Korea.
After leaving the Army, he worked for a time at a small newspaper in Thornton, Iowa. It was during this time that Timothy met his life partner, Rick Wolfe. In 1992, Tim and Rick moved to San Diego, Calif., and from there to Wake Forest, N.C., in 1994. In 1998, Tim and Rick took in Rick’s nephew, Nathan Mincks, to live with them. Nathan was 8 years old, and Tim and Rick raised him as their own. Tim began working at The Body Shop in 1997, and was employed there at the time of his death.
Survivors include his life partner, Rick Wolfe and their “son” Nathan Mincks of Wake Forest; mother, Lorraine Morris of Northwood, Iowa; father, Arden Herfendal of Fairmont; sister, Melanie (Dan) DeVries of Northwood, and their children, Brittany, Shaun, Zakkary, Stephen and Katie; grandmother, Jeanette Herfendahl of Fairmont; grandfather, Dean Morris of Northwood; many aunts, uncles, and cousins; and Rick’s large family in Iowa.
Tim was preceded in death by his grandmother, Geneva Morris, and grandfather, Alton Herfendahl.
Tim will be remembered for his love of family and friends. He always made people laugh and his laugh was contagious. He always had a cup of coffee, Coke, or cigarette in one hand, and a book in the other. He was a wonderful provider for Rick and Nathan and he will truly be missed.
You can contact the family with on-line condolences at: www.mittelstadtfuneralhome.com.