Morne was born on November 26, 1974 to Zacharias and Dawn Eksteen in Paarl, South Africa. He was one of 4 children. Eldest is Deon, then Debbie, Morne , followed by Ingrid, the youngest.
As we begin to reach out for the right words to express our thoughts about Morne, we remember the many valued and meaningful roles that he played throughout his life. First and foremost, we see him as the family man. He loved his family profoundly. He was a devoted husband/son/father/ uncle/brother and friend. Looking back, he was always a family man. Morne was a comfort to his parents while he was alive. He was so devoted to them. He was a very respectful and caring man. Morne took all of the roles in his life to heart and he strived to honor, support, guide, and most importantly protect his family. He was at his happiest when he was surrounded by his family. Even during those inevitable tough times that life has a way of throwing at you. His devotion to his family was the foundations of his actions, the anchor that defined and shaped his life.
Morne’s hands were his most powerful tool. He loved working with his hands and from a very young age he was always busy taking apart his toys or watches and trying to put them back together again. He was a DIY man. You asked for it, and he made it. If he was told it couldn’t be built, his reply would be “watch me”. It would be made better than ever imagined. He took on the project of building the service truck for the Hardy Farm. That truck is still in use today. Working with his hands to build was a passion he shared with his dad and something he was very proud of.
From an early age, we all knew that Morne did not like sitting behind school books. He would rather spend his time working on the farm. This is why he chose to go to an agricultural high school and further his career in farming. He spent a number of years farming in South Africa. He then decided to give up farming and started to work at the family bakery for a couple of years, but he longed for the outdoors and this is when he decided to travel to the United States to work. He ended up with David and Sherry at Hardy AG. Morne enjoyed working American soil for the Hardy’s for many years. They became a second family to him.
When he came back after the first year spent in the United States, everyone loved to hear his stories. From a limousine to countless stories of what the South Africans got up too. We wished he would stay, but he fell in love with the United States, and he also fell in love with his blue-eyed blonde American girlfriend. From the moment he told us he would become a father, we all knew we lost him to the United States, but he was truly happy. Morne married the love of his life, Melody Ann Vincent on August 17, 2007. To this union, two children were born, AnnDee Dawn and Zacharias Dale. The one memory his father treasured deeply was the holiday to the United States. Meeting his granddaughter and attending his son’s wedding. He loved spending time with Morne and his new family and he loved seeing all the new farming equipment. The last time Morne’s saw his family in South Africa was at his father’s funeral. This was a bittersweet moment. They loved having him back, but not for his father’s funeral.
During his time in the United States, Morne enjoyed working the Hardy Family Farm, but in 2012 he decided to move his family to Colorado to chase the oilfield dream. He enjoyed this for the next 4 years, but truly missed the farming life and wanted to raise his children on the farm so he packed up the family and moved back to the Hardy Farm. He was a farmer through and through and was overjoyed to be back on the farm doing what he loved!
Morne was an amazing cook. He loved to have friends and family over for a bon fire and good food. His friends and family were his pride and joy. He loved spending time with them. He called his family in South Africa so often he became their wake up call, very early morning conversations that lasted hours. Endless stories of his family and what his wife and kids got up to. The last harvest season was spent with him in the tractor sending countless messages throughout all hours of the day of him harvesting. This was special as they realized that he missed South Africa and his family dearly. On the day of his passing, his family in South Africa woke up at the same time, in the early hours of the morning, and now realize this was Morne saying goodbye.
It’s so very hard to say goodbye, so we will just say so-long. You will be remembered through the many people still left behind whose lives you touched so positively. You may not realize it, but you have left an amazing legacy behind. Two beautiful, handsome and brilliant children, who are your legacy! Through them, you leave this world a better place than when you found it, and for that you have to be very proud.
Morne’s greatest wish was to show Melody and the children the beauty of his birthplace in South Africa, knowing that they will always be welcomed into the homes of those who share in his memory and love him so deeply.
Morne is survived by: his wife Melody and his two beautiful children AnnDee and Zacharias, Fairview, MT.; Mother Dawn Eksteen, Mossel Bay, South Africa; sisters Debbie (Abril) Van Zyl, Hartenbos, West Cape Town, South Africa and Ingred Smit, Paarl, West Cape Town, South Africa; one brother, Deon Eksteen, Alberton, Gauteng, South Africa and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.
Morne is preceded by his father Zacharias Eksteen.
Morne died unexpectedly on December 20, 2016 at his home in Fairview, MT.
In lieu of flowers, the Morne Eksteen fund has been set up through Stockman Bank as a way to assist Morne’s family from South Africa come to the United States to say their final goodbyes. Their intentions are to take a part of Morne back to his homeland. There will also be a benefit for the Morne family at the Waterhole in Fairview, MT on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 6:00P.M.