150 Year Anniversary

Experts say most businesses won’t survive three generations. J.T. Morriss & Son, however, has survived FIVE generations (and counting). In 2006, we celebrated our 150th anniversary and in doing so planned several events/activities throughout the year: $150 off of any pre-paid funeral arrangement done during 2006.

In an effort to raise awareness of our Anniversary and the funeral home, we took part in Friday for the Arts by setting up a display at the Petersburg Regional Art Center. During that time we had a chance to meet and interact with several of the thousands of folks that attend. We also showed a video tribute about our 150 years of service and displayed a banner that included a timeline of our family’s history intertwined with a timeline of what was happening in America. Friday for the Arts is held all year long on the first Friday of the month in Downtown Petersburg.

An essay contest for local high school students about how they wish to be remembered - The essay contest was offered to high school students in Petersburg, Hopewell, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Colonial Heights. Essays were to consist of two typed pages to then be submitted to the Chapel of the student’s choice by February 17. They were judged on grammar and content by a group of employees and our advertising company, Hall & Partners. A winner was selected from each Chapel and received a check for $150 that was presented to them at the burial of the time capsule. In all we had over seventy five submissions to the essay contest.

A time capsule for people to bring in artifacts that was buried in Blandford Cemetery on April 14, 2006. During the ceremony Delegate Rosalyn Dance presented J.T. Morriss & Son with a Resolution from the Commonwealth of Virginia in commemoration of our 150th Anniversary. Dulaney Ward, Petersburg Historian, took part in the ceremony as well and gave a history of Petersburg. The communities showed their interest, as well, by donating several items including photographs of Petersburg and surrounding areas, City budget for FY06 and a proposed budget for FY07, letters, menus, posters of events, money, stamps, etc. The items were placed in a stainless steel burial vault, donated by Markham Wilbert, and buried after the ceremony. The space is marked with a bronze marker donated to us by Aurora casket company and will be unearthed on April 14, 2056.

A reenactment of our founder’s funeral, J.T. Morriss II, took place at Historic Blandford Church and Cemetery on May 6, 2006. Events taken straight from his obituary notice and newspapers were used to try and re-create the events of that day. A religious ceremony, consistnet of that time period, was conducted by the Reverend Troy Kaichen. Members of Appomattox Commandry #6, of which J.T. Morriss II was a member, provided an honor guard and escort of the casket. Members of Petersburg Lodge #15 AF & AM, also of which Morriss was a member, performed Masonic Funeral Rites at his grave and also acted as pallbearers. The antique horse drawn carriage was used to carry the casket from the funeral home to the Church and then on to his gravesite. Other participants in the service included funeral home staff, their family, and friends who portrayed the family and mourners.

Finally we hosted a traveling art exhibition entitled, “The Evolution of Death, an exhibition for the brave & curious”. The exhibit opened in Petersburg’s Siege Museum on June 9, 2006. We had over 600 people walk through the exhibit on that night, and many more in attendance at the reception we had outside. The exhibit remained at the Siege Museum until August 18. During that time an attendance record for one month was broken. There were over 2,000 people in the month of July that walked through the museum, the old record was 1,800. Next the exhibition was moved to Weston Manor in Hopewell. Weston Manor is an Eighteenth Century Manor House that overlooks the James River. The exhibit was there from August 15 to October 16. The last stop for the exhibition was Magnolia Grange in Chesterfield and remained there until December 1.

We are proud of our heritage and longevity and look forward to the next 150 years of commitment and service to our community.