Family Values

Family values include many things: cooperation, hard work, and selfless care for each other. Morgan and his wife, Kristen, have a passion for the family. They have six children, several of whom they have adopted. When the children were small they could often been seen working on family projects outside in their yard. Neighborhood children would often join in and help get the “Bowen family project” finished thinking that all of these kids were having the greatest time of their lives. Morgan called this the Tom Sawyer effect. The Bowen family believes that people working together for the common good create strong family bonds.

Morgan’s father was born during the Great Depression in Spanish Fork, Utah. His father often told of their family with sixteen children pulling together to make ends meet. Each week they would bring whatever they earned and give it to their mother, who would in turn provide the family with the necessities of life.

During Utah’s pioneer era, Morgan’s family emigrated from Wales. They came across the plains in 1856 and were caught in a severe early snow storm. Camped at Martins Cove in Wyoming, those in the family who were still strong enough locked arms and stomped down the snow to make a path for the stranded hand cart pioneers. The people of Utah have a great heritage of working together when there is a challenge. The symbol of Utah is the beehive because it represents individuals working together as one.

Morgan believes that in the spirit of Utah’s past we should do everything we can to support the family. That means good jobs, a commitment to elementary and secondary education, support for the university system, safe streets, and economic opportunities. In today’s world families come in many configurations, shapes, and sizes. The one thing all families have in common is a desire to love and care for each other. We should create policies that support the family such as extending the child tax credit, tuition tax credit, and the creation of a home based business tax credit. Health care must become a priority for the next congress to ensure that families are not destroyed by the crush of health related debts.