Sheriff left his mark
It's been 16 years since
Galen Morford served as Harvey County Sheriff, but his fingerprints are still
all over the department. Five current deputies served for Morford, as did
current Sheriff Byron Motter. "He was a great boss," Motter said.
"He was easy to work for. He had a wit to him, a skill of storytelling
that was probably unmatched." Morford, died Friday at Presbyterian Manor
in Newton. He was 77, suffering from Alzheimer's the last few years of his life.
Morford was Sheriff in Harvey County for nearly 20 years, beginning in 1973. He
retired in 1990, during the second year of a four-year term.
Current sheriff Byron Motter
was appointed by the republican party, after Morford wrote letters to party
members to encourage them to appoint Motter.
"He was an excellent
sheriff," Motter said. "Nothing with the sheriff's office had to be
changed at all. The department was well-respected and had an excellent
department."
The respect Morford's
department earned came from it's leader - and how he stressed each member of
the force should treat people they came in contact with.
Morford, a long-time member
of First Christian Church, stressed the importance of "The Golden
Rule" to all of his officers.
"He instilled in us to
treat people the way you want to be treated yourself," Motter said. 'If
you were given an opportunity to give someone a break, give them that break. I
learned a lot from him - even how to treat inmates. He always said 'Remember
those are people who made a mistake. They are no different than you and I, they
just made a mistake.' "
Motter said when he took the
office of Sheriff, he had big shoes to fill. Morford was respected by both the
members of the Sheriff's department and the public.
"He was definitely my
mentor," Motter said. "He taught me everything he knew in the two
years before he retired."
Morford had served as part of
the Newton Police Department, owned his own business and was a sports official
prior to his election as sheriff.
As a member of the NPD,
Morford reached the rank of lieutenant during his 23 years of service on the
force. He was a member of the American Legion and the Peace Officers
Association.
The Sheriff's department will
serve as color guard and the NPD as firing squad for Morford's funeral.
He was born June 13, 1928, to
Everett and Hazel (Jolly) Morford in Newton. They preceded him in death. He
married Connie (Reynolds) Huffman in April 1973. She survives of the home.
Visitation is from 9 a.m. to
9 p.m. today with family greeting friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Petersen
Funeral Home.
Funeral service will be 2
p.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church with the Rev. Thomas Shane
officiating. He will be buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
Memorials have been
established with the Harvey County Sheriff's Department in care of the funeral
home.
