Obituary: Morken, Corinne May “Corie”
She lived there for about four years when the family moved to Belfair, WA.
They then moved to Olympia, WA where Corie completed high school.
She then took nurses’ training at the Saint Peters School of Nursing in Olympia and the Olympic College in Bremerton, WA While in nurses’ training, She married Stan Morken, a ne’er-do-well logger from Shelton, WA, quietly reciting the bride’s oath: Aisle, Altar, Hymn.
They had two children: Jim and Sheila.
Always active, Corie juggled raising a family, working full time, leading a Campfire Girls group, tending to their menagerie of farm animals, being active in Indian Parents Group, Squaxin Island Tribal Center children’s activities, sewing, arts and crafts and church activities.
She also assisted her husband in leading a Boy Scout troop on two fifty mile Afoot-afloat hikes.
After moving to Spokane in 1985, Corie developed a passion for mission work and made ten short mission trips to Mexico where they worked on construction of small churches.
Later, she and her husband learned about Amahoro, Africa and made two longer trips to Burundi where they worked at an orphanage and taught at a remote mountain village school.
She also applied her nursing skills and otherwise helped the local villagers.
The children especially loved her, and she, them.
Having been diagnosed with lupus erythmatosis at the age of thirty, followed by many complications, rarely kept her from doing anything she set out to do.
(Her leg braces and crutches did stop her from skydiving and off zip lines).
Corie is survived by her husband, two children, Jim Morken of Meridian, Idaho, Sheila Clemons of Spokane Valley, two brothers: Lyle Albro of Sun City West, AZ and Orion Albro of Olympia, WA; four grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and one great-granddaughter.
Memorial Services will be held for Corie on Friday, April 10th at 10am at Vine Community Church, Deer Park, WA.