DEATH OF A FREE SPIRIT

EFFECTS OF CONTROLLING & BULLYING PEOPLE

TRUTH

Jennifer held a full-time job at the Olathe Police Department.  She worked there for approximately 17 years.  She started as Patrol Officer.  She later became a Detective, a Field Training Officer, a member of the Tactical Support Unit, the Metropolitan Homicide Squad, a Background Investigator and Police Recruiter. She was a Certified Polygraph Examiner for the State of Kansas.  She also received multiple awards, most revered the Olathe Police Department Merit Award in 2004 and 2010.  How appropriate to receive that award and be threatened with a demotion in the same year.  All because of Natalie Bright and her affair with Sarah Tackett and the havoc it reeked within the department.

Jennifer kept a beautiful home and did all the house work, lawn upkeep, prepared meals, laundry, did all of the grocery shopping and took wonderful care of her son.  Natalie Bright did absolutely nothing domestic.  Jennifer said that Natalie Bright wanted to be Owen's friend (ergo: that's why Natalie and her family called him "Buddy" instead of Owen.  I often wondered what would have actually occurred if Natalie Bright had been loving and sincere about wanting a family and been a contributing member of that family.

As far back as I can remember Jennifer was always willing to try something new.  On the first day of kindergarten, I took her to school and picked her up and she said to me "that was fun Mom, but I'm glad its over and I won't have to go back".  The look on her beautiful little face when I explained the situation was priceless.  Huge tears began to run down her cheeks when she realized what I was saying and that she would have to go back.

This is a picture of Jennifer and her brother, John who she adored.  John was 5 and Jennifer 3 years old.  This was at Christmas time, thus the packages they were holding.  Her hair was completely blond and in my opinion, they were both good looking and perfectly normal kids.

From that time on she tried every sport she could go out for.  Soccer, softball, tennis (was offered a tennis scholarship), varsity basketball (Wichita State was interested in her), volleyball and she would have tried football if she could.  She excelled in her work at school.  She went to Shawnee Mission West high school and after graduation, commuted from Lenexa, Kansas to Lawrence, Kansas to attend Kansas University. 

Jennifer had several jobs in which she also excelled.  She had an excellent work ethic and was a valued employee where ever she was employed.

When she worked at MC Sports she met her future husband, Matt Morgan.  They got married in 1993.  They lived in an apartment for a while and eventually bought a house.  Matt worshiped the ground Jennifer walked on.  It was during their time together that Jennifer decided to go to the Police Academy.  She graduated in the top of her class and became a Olathe, Kansas police officer.

I would guess that she always aspired to be a "LAW-WOMAN".  Here she is with her brother John, all decked out with their six guns.  John was 6 and Jennifer 4 years old.

Things went as we supposed they would.  Jennifer was harassed by some of her male counterparts from day one.  She weathered every verbal assault and every slight to advance to be Sergeant in 2006.  She loved her job even though she was constantly challenged.

Matt Morgan and Jennifer were married almost 6 years and it ended with both of them being brokenhearted.  Jennifer realized that she was a lesbian somewhere along the line and did not want Matt to be deprived of what she called a "normal" life.

I remember she called my husband, her dad - Dave and asked if she could come over to our house and stay for a while.  I was gone at the time.  She came over with some clothes and we sat in the kitchen for the longest time and she told me crying uncontrollably that she was gay.  I told her we loved her and supported her in every way, even though I wished it wasn't the case because at that time gay and lesbian people weren't treated as well as they are today, especially at the Police Department and that proved to be true.  As I said earlier, she weathered that storm too.  She was still our daughter and it didn't matter that she preferred women.

Her first encounter was with a woman named Michelle Becker.  Michelle moved to Olathe, Kansas from St. Louis, Missouri (if I recall correctly).  They were together for a short period of time and then Jennifer moved on to other relationships.

She wasn't with anyone in particular for a while then she met someone special (I won't mention her name because to my current knowledge, she hasn't come out to her family).  They bought a house together and were with each other for almost 5 years.  That relationship was good but hard for Jennifer because this woman went home every Christmas and Jennifer could not participate for fear of the family finding out their daughter was gay.

That brings us to the time Natalie Bright unfortunately walked into Jennifer's life.

So we will leave it here, until the next blog.