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Firm Has Cared for Area's Funeral Needs Since 1881 BOWMANVILLE. ONTARIO. WEDI. SEPTEMBER 3. 1975 In 1960, the Morris Chapel was moved from its older premises on the south side of King Street into its n i emartrs on Division. The family residence, not shown, is attached to the left side of the building. This old-fashioned hearse was a familiar model in about 1920. To purchase a new Cadillac model with mohair interior and electric tables, the price today would be in excess of $25,000. These photos show scenes of the Jesse Trull funeral in 1912. Note the formal dress and preponderance of black clothing. Levi Mofris aïdson Frank gerved as the funeral directors for the Trulls that day. A receipt from the Town Clerk's office in July 1888 shows that a child's grave cost two dollars in that year. In 1975, the same plot would be worth $54 in the Bowmanville CemeterV. In 1881, Levi Morris founded the business that is now known as the F. F. Morris Funeral Chapel Limited. It is one of the few businesses started before the turn of the century in Bowmanville that still remains in the hands of the same family. Levi is Don Morris' great grandfather. by Liz Armstrong The Morris Funeral Chapel at 4 Division Street fias a long record of fine service in the Bowmanville community. Levi Morris, great-grand- father of present owner Don Morris, emigrated to Canada in the 1850's. The history of the Funeral Chapel dates back to the year 1881, when Levi opened a furniture store and undertaking establishment on King Street. This article condenses mat- erial extracted from a scrap book containing news clip- pings, letters and photo- graphs, which Anne Morris compiled for a school assign- ment in 1972. We are grateful for the loan of this material and permis- sion to publish it in the Statesman. Whep young Levi Morris arrived in Canada in 1852, he no doubt wondered what future was in store for him in the growing colony. It took six weeks for the sailing vessel to cross the Atlantic and navigate the St. Lawrence, and when it arriv- ed, members of the Morris family prepared to settle. They made their way to the Port Perry region and took up residence in a little town called, Prince Albert. A cabinet maker by trade, 16-year-old Levi had served a five year apprenticeship on the Isle of Wight prior to emigrating with his family, and lie found work building barns, houses and furniture for established farmers in the region In 1860, he married Sarah J. Bartlett, and the young Morris couple came to settle in the Bowmanville area. Levi pos- ibly sought work at the Dominion Organ and Piano Factory, one of the thriving businesses in the town at that time. The company had cabinet makers in abundance how- ever, and as an alternative, Levi decided to open his own store, which lie located on Liberty Street north. He made furniture in the shop and contributed to the construc- tion of local buildings such as Trinity Church and the Bal- moral Hotel. The Business Expands One of the tasks of cabinet makers in years past was to construct coffins when a death occurred, and it was natural that coffin making became part of Levi's business. Though there were funeral directors a hundred years ago, their role was considerably more limited than it is now. Then, it was basically a livery service, providing the hearse and carriages for the funeral cortege. As Levi's business and family grew, hie decided tn expand his operations. With a son, Frank Frederick and a daughter Winnifred to assist him, he rented the premises where George's Men and Boy's WEar now stands on the north side of King Street, and opened a furniture store and undertaking establishment. The year was 1881. He announced his new ine of business with an advertise- ment placed in "The Ob- server.' UNDERTAKING! Mr. Levi Morris respectfully informs the public, that having purchased a FIRST CLASS HEARSE AND A STOCK OF UNDERTAKER'S GOODS he is prepared to attend to anything in the undertaking, at Moderate Charges. Frank and Win ran the business while Levi went to New York state in 1884 to attend the Rochester School of Embalming. No accredited school existed in Canada at that time. After receiving his certifi- cate and returning to Bow- manville, Levi purchased a double property on the south side of King Street and opened Morris Furniture and Funeral Directors on land that was sold to Kramp's Furniture in 1960. From Generation to Generation Son Frank became a part- ner in the business in 1891 and it was designated as Levi Morris and Son. A year later, Frank graduated from the Toronto School of Embalming. After Levi's death in 1918, the business was renamed the FF. Morris Company and continued under that name until 1970 when it was incorp- orated as the F.F. Morris Funeral Chapel Limited. Meanwhile, two addtional generations of the Morris family grew up and contribut- ed to the family business. F.F.'s son C.G. 'Ted' Morris received his licence in 1924, and the fourth generation is represented by Don Morris, who took up duties after returning from World War 11 Naval service and receiving accreditation at the Banting Institute in 1948. Levi's great-great-grandson Paul graduated from the FnriDi1r(,etor's c-ouse a&_ Humber Coilege in 1972, and thoughli he is presently working for a chapel in Toronto, there is good chance that the family business will carry on into the fifth generation at some point in the future. In its 95th year, the chapel in now located on Division Street, having moved in 1960 from the site on King Street to modern quarters. At this point, the family relinquished interests as furniture retail- ers. Keeping Pace With the Times and wood stove to microwave oven, this past century has witnessed astounding changes in all aspects of society. Care of the deceased has been no exception. Embalming, or sterilization of bodies; began on a wide scale during the Civil War in the United States to prevent the spread of contagious diseases and plagues. Its use gradually spread, and the procedure is now practised almost universally in western cultures. Horse and buggy slowly gave way to the piston engine and motorized hearses weren't long in following the advent of the Model T. And rather imposing looking rigs they were too. In the old days, funerals often took place in the homes of the deceaseed. As people moved into smaller residences and apartments, a need arose to replace the older tradition with a new scheme; the modern chapel is partly the result of the trend toward more compact housing. Funeràl style and practice have also changed significant- ly over the past few decades. Black traditionally symbo- lizes death and mourning, and as photos of the Jesse Trull funeral show, the dress and decorum at funerals in the early part of the century were exceptionally sombre and so- lemn. Gradàally, attitude and fashion became less formal, perhaps reflecting a more realistic approach to a fact that is inevitable for all of us. Though the death of a family member or friend is never easy to accept, there seems to be a general tenden- cy to offer comfort and support to the bereaved and emphasize the positive as- pects of the deceased person's life rather than dwell on his loss. As the Morris business grew during the latter part of the 19th century, it absorbed undertaking establishments in Hampton, Orono, Newcastle and Kirby. The Orono branch was operated by the Morris family until 1947, when the decision was made to conten- trate total effects on the Bowmanville business. Funeral directors frequent- ly provided ambulance ser- vices and when Bowman- ville's first hospital opened in "Take A Break" Club Begins Tues., Sept. 16 1913, the Morris Company expanded to fill this need. This aspect of the business contin- ued until 1960, and is now operated from the hospital premises under the jurisdic- tion of the Town. Sztill Goin.gg Stron.g Few businesses in Bowman- ville that were started in the last century still remain in the hands of the family that founded them; the Vanstone Mill, the Bowmanville Found- ry and The Canadian States- man are included in this select group, along with the Morris Chapel. The Morris family business grew with the town during its heyday before the turn of the century when Bowmanville overshadowed Oshawa in sta- ture, and it continued to survive throughout periods when the town languished. As the Chapel moves toward its centennial in 1981, the 'business that Levi Morris started as a secondary part of his cabinet-making trade con- tinues to render a service essential to the communitv. At St. John's Church by Sandy Magwood Weil, here is September. Sépteinber-saeems to bring that disease know as "join-itus." Plans are made for each of our children to join one or possibly two activities per week, per child. If you multiply this by 2 children that makes four activities. If you multiply this bv 3 children that makes six activities....etc.....etc....etc.... All this activity cèrtainlq keeps Mother busy! But what about Mother in the midst of ail this confusion; the hockey lessons, the ballet lessons, the swimming lessons, the figure skating lessons, the pottery lessons and the guitar les- sons??? Does she not deserve a little time for herself? Does she not deserve a little physical and mental stimula- tion also? Wel of course the answer is YES! And it really isn't just a laughing matter. It Viewing the News a business column by Fraser Robertson open letter to Labour Minister Munro Hon. John Munro, Minister of Labour, House of Commons, OTTAWA, Ontario. KlA 0A6 Dear Mr. Munro: When Hercules undertook to cleanse the Augean stables, all the ancient world marvelled. I am sure that all Canada, if not all the modern world, will marvel if you succeed in a somewhat similar task which you have set yourself. Hercules, being an astute operator, did not sweep the stables himself. He diverted a river through them. Sometimes I have speculated on the feelings of those who lived down stream. But let that pass, pollution is not your affair. Astute yourself, you too have sought an instrument appropriate to your task and have established a com- mittee, or council (a more dignified word) to do the dirty work. Nine labor unionists, nine businessmen and four civil servants are being diverted from their usual pursuits in the hope they will be able to sweep away much, if not all, of the confusion in present-day labor relations. I judge you agree it is beginning to stink in the public nostrils. One of the moves at the recent first meeting of your Council truly was an heroic one. It is going to try to make statistics used by collective bargainers reliable and un- derstandable. Ever since Thomas Carlyle noted, about a century ago, that "you might prove anything by figures", statisticians have been compiling their tables and ap- pending warnings that they do not necessarily mean what you think they mean. is vital that mothers--and especially mothers with young children at home have some time to themselves. Having dealt with over 4,000 mothers in my business over the past two years, I have constantly heard of the prob- lems of staying home. The mother misses the lack of stimulating adult conversa- tion; the lack of meeting new individuals with new ideas; the lack of personal involve- ment in "out-of-the-home" constructive activities. In other words, some mothers tend to feel isolated from the "outside world." And for this, in most communities, there is little excuse! There are activities for women at home. All you have to do is to watch for them and then "force" vourself to attend that rather scary first meeting. Amazingly enough, you find that you usually enjoy yourself and that there are many people in the same position as yourself. When I first moved to Bowmanville, last summer, I was amazed to see how many activities were available for ALL members of the family. I was also amazed to see how many people did not know of, or make use of, these services. I would like to tell the women readers about the St. John's Church Take-A-Break program. It is a group set up specifically for mothers with young children at home. The idea was to offer the mother a morning out.. a morning which would offer a chance to meet new friends, explore, exercise, learn and basically just enjoy ,aduclteompanion- ship. The aim of thegroup is to exercise the body, the mind and the spirit. The program begins with 45 minutes of eurhythmic exer- cises which are excercises done to music. These exer- cises are progressively exac- ting and are taught by experienced women. This is followed by coffee and a guest speaker. Last years topics included; Women's Rights, music and children, pioneer crafts, driving dynamics, modern dance, hand crafts and Creative Fun for Little Ones. Special guests included Dr. Jerry Brown from the Pine Ridge School and Gary Magwood from the Mosport Racing School. This year's program will include "Dying, Spinning, & Weaving" with Rita Braun Your own department is a practiced producer of statistics. So are most other Federal Government departments. One result is frequent wlangles, such as that recent one between you and Finance Minister John Turner about the inflationary effects of wage settlements. Other governments also compile statistics and wrangle about them. So do labor groups and business groups. Statistics are as manna from heaven to the computer industry. The Canadian Press, reporting on your Council's first meeting, said one objective tentatively adopted was the provision of data to collective bargaining groups, through an impartial agency. Impartial!? Might I ask, Mr. Munro, if you are still on speaking terms with the chief of Statistics Canada and with many other dealers in statistical data? Or have they ignored the implication that their statistics are slanted? It is, of course, possible that I misunderstand the Council's objective. Perhaps what is wanted is data arranged to help collective bargainers avoid awkward questions, particularly ariy awkward questions the public might ask about wages and prices and productivity. That would be somewhat akin to Hercules cleaning up the stables by polluting the river, would it not? Another matter your Council discussed was the possibility of promoting more nation-wide bargaining. Federal officials were reported to have said this might reduce the number of strikes in a sector. That is indeed in tune with modern ideas -- one big company, one big union, one big government. Then come the ombudsmen, to intercede for the people. But really, where does this idea come from, that nation- wide bargaining reduced local strikes? Some members of the public are under the impression that bargaining between the Federal Government and all the postal workers across the country resulted in not just one big strike, but in harassment of the publicthrough a lot of sectoral walkouts. It is, indeed true that some sectoral strikes have been illegal. Perhaps they should not be included in strike statistics. There are, as well, those study sessions, those sudden departures on sick leave by whole groups of workers, those refusals to cross picket lines, that cause work stoppages. Impartially, now... But I must not run on and on, taking up your time, Mr.. Munro. Just let me assure you of my support in this heroic undertaking. As evidence of that support I offer a positive proposal: If all else fails, why not get all the statisticians into one big union, then manoeuvre them into a perpetual strike? Without statistics to confuse them, other bargainers quickly could get down to matters they have some hope of understanding. SECTION TWO _ (one of Canada's outstanding weavers); Mr. King Baker speaking on "Forraging in Nature" and Gary Magwood will return to discuss "Driving Dynamics." Other topics on the planning board are; nat- ural foods, the metric system, La Leche (a group concerned with natural childbirth), an- imal lore and recreational facilities in and around Bow- manville. Babysitting is provided in order that .al mothers can participate. The children are grouped according to their ages so that they also can benefit from the morning. The fee is nominal--in order to cover our costs. Mothers with children pay 75 cents and mothers without children pay 25 cents. So if "join-itus" has struck your home and you feel you might have just a touch of it yourself--try coming out to a Take-A-Break morning. It begins Tuesday, September 16, 1975 at St. John's Church (opposite the Arena). The mornings begin at 9:15 and continue until 11:15. If you have anv further ouestions or perhaps you need a lift, please co not hesitate to give me a call.. Sandy Magwood 632- 4106. If no further questions, then I look forward to meeting you at 9:15, September 16, at St. John's Church. Please, bring a friend! Accident Round-up Bowmanville's Division 16 of Durham Regional Police report two weekend traffic collisions in town which total- led damage of $1,225 and caused no personal injury. The first and most extensive of the two occurred early Friday evening on King Street East at the intersection of Mearns Avenue when one eastbound vehicle was rear- ended by another. Police report that a vehicle operated b y Brian Lubben, 17, of R. R. 2 Port Hope, had been eastbound and was stopped awaiting clearance to make a left turn and proceed north on Mearns Avenue when struck by a second vehicle driven by Jeffrey R. Hodgson, 19, of 217 Liberty Street North, Bow- manville. Damage to the rear of the Lubben vehicle, a 1975 Toyota, was estimated at $600 while the front of the Hodgson vehicle suffered damage of $425. Constable T. Molyneaux investigated the 6:50 p.m. mishap. On Sunday at 12:20 p.m. a truck, travelling south on Brown Street is reported to have coilided with a parked car owned by Lornell Milburn Parliament of Oshawa. Police advise the truck, owned by Bristol Auto Rentals of Cambridge and driven by Lyle Morris Collard, 50, of Kitchener, had bèen south- bound and in pulling up to stop infront of 60 Brown Street, its right-rear dual wheels collid- ed with the left front of the Parliament vehicle. The truck remained undam- aged in the collision while the Parliament vehicle damage was estimated at $200. Advertising helps make jobs. lir-W quai tui a Vil i-,i Z)t eanabian %tatt#man