Thirty-eight-year-old Jody Lee Morrow was a woman who went out of her way to help others, her close friend Heather Bigelow said Monday.

Though she was a complicated woman who struggled with depression and diabetes, “If she was your friend there was nothing in the world she wouldn’t do for you,” Bigelow said. “She was very fun-loving most of the time.”

On Sunday, Morrow was found dead in her home on 730 Larimore Circle, after what police have described as being “bludgeoned to death.”

Police arrested her estranged boyfriend Chad Jamie Gulbertson, 37, as a suspect. He is being held in the Freeborn County Jail awaiting charges. According to court documents, there was a history of alleged domestic violence in the relationship.

Bigelow said Morrow talked frequently about her relationship with Gulbertson. And Bigelow was actually at the home quite often when Morrow and Gulbertson fought.

“It was almost a constant thing,” she said.

But as long as she was there it wouldn’t escalate into anything physical, she said.

In the past, Morrow had applied for two emergency temporary protection orders against Gulbertson, and she was just granted an official one on June 1 that was set to last for a year. Gulbertson was to have no contact with Morrow.

“Just in the last weeks since being able to get him on the restraining order, she was the happiest she ever has been,” Bigelow said. “For the first time, I saw her really smile.”

The friend said she had been begging Morrow to find a way to get out of the situation with Gulbertson.

Bigelow said she had known Morrow for about 3 1/2 years. Morrow moved to Albert Lea about 4 1/2 years ago to get a fresh start. She’s originally from Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The two women met through therapy classes and quickly became friends.

“It was almost instantaneous,” she said. “We were almost exactly alike.”

She said she and Morrow would see each other four or five times a week. And when they didn’t see each other, they were on the phone or on the computer together.

“We did a lot of baking together, garage saling, had barbecues,” Bigelow said.”

Last week, the two friends were getting ready for Morrow’s two young boys, ages 10 and 12, to come visit for a month from Iowa.

Bigelow said Morrow was on Social Security disability, but she did a lot of things with Cedar House in Albert Lea, both as a client and to help other people resolve their problems.

“She did everything for everybody, and there was no reason for this,” Bigelow said.

“She was the kind of woman that if you needed milk for your children, she’d buy you milk. If you needed gas for your car, she’d buy it for you. She’d go out of her way. People who were homeless, she would empty out a room and let them stay for a while.”

Bigelow said Morrow’s death will leave a hole in her life. She’s trying to remember not to pick up the phone and call her friend because it’s something the two friends would do so often.