Morrison Funeral Home

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Morrison Funeral Home in Young County. Now settle in, because this one's a story about a man who came to Texas with nothing but ambition, and ended up leaving a legacy that's still standing today. John Edward Morrison was born in Mississippi in 1848, and by 1874 he had packed up his family and pointed them toward Texas.

They set down roots first in Tarrant County, but Young County called to them, and by 1876 they had arrived. Morrison, being the kind of man who didn't sit still long, went ahead and purchased several tracts of land. Then, come January of 1877, he had himself a blacksmith shop open right there on the Town Square in Graham.

Now, a blacksmith shop is a fine start. But Morrison wasn't finished. Not even close.

By 1884 he had formed a partnership with a man named Spencer Boyd Street, and together they called their new venture Morrison and Street Family Grocery. Groceries. That was just the beginning of what this man would build.

Over the years, J. E. Morrison expanded his business interests to include dry goods, hardware, and lumber.

He opened branch stores in nearby towns. The man had range. Then comes 1888, and here's where the story takes a turn nobody might have predicted.

With the addition of undertaking supplies to the company's inventory, the Morrison Funeral Home was begun. Not a separate venture, not a grand announcement. Just one more thing added to the shelves, and history quietly got started.

The partnership with Spencer Boyd Street was dissolved in 1895, and Morrison's own children began joining the family businesses. When John Edward Morrison died, his son Adger A. Morrison stepped up and took the helm of the undertaking business.

Adger expanded the company, and a new building was completed in 1938. Now here's the thing that ought to stop you for just a moment on that Texas road. John Edward Morrison was born in Mississippi in 1848.

And today, the Morrison Funeral Home is in its second century of operation, still run by the descendants of that same Mississippi-born man who once opened a blacksmith shop on a Texas town square. Some roots, once planted, just don't let go.

What the marker says

Mississippi native John Edward Morrison (1848-1926) and his family moved to Texas in 1874, settling first in Tarrant County. They arrived in Young County in 1876, and Morrison purchased several tracts of land. By January 1877 he had opened a blacksmith shop on the Town Square, and in 1884 he formed a partnership with Spencer Boyd Street. Their new venture was called Morrison & Street Family Grocery. Over the years, J. E. Morrison expanded his business interests to include dry goods, hardware, and lumber. Eventually he opened branch stores in nearby towns. In 1888, with the addition of undertaking supplies to the company's inventory, the Morrison Funeral Home was begun. The partnership with Street was dissolved in 1895, and several of Morrison's children joined the family businesses. Following Morrison's death his son, Adger A., became head of the undertaking business. He expanded the company, and a new building was completed in 1938. The businesses of John E. Morrison have played an important part in Graham's history. Now in its second century, the Morrison Funeral Home continues to be operated by descendants of John Edward Morrison.