Death all around

Funeral home director deals with it daily

By Scott Deininger
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS

JOLIET — Most people simply view death as a part of life. A part of life that you may experience a few times or even a number of times in your life. or Terry Morris, death is something he deals with on a daily basis.

At 41, Morris owns the Morris-Minor Funeral Home at 112 Richards St. in Joliet. When the former owner, William Minor, retired in 1989 after nearly 35 years, Morris moved from Chicago's south side suburb of Chatham and took over day-to-day operations.

"The death of a loved one is hard for people to handle," said Morris, the youngest brother of three. "It's my job to show extreme compassion in their time of grieving. I try to reassure them that things will run smoothly. But this is definitely a business that's not for everyone. You need a strong commitment and desire to run a funeral home effectively."

Morris first took interest in being a mortician early in high school through his parents' friends.

"They owned a funeral home in Chicago," said Morris of the Rhodes family. "We would visit with them a few times a month. They carried themselves very well and were genuinely nice people. I just wanted to do what they did."

Morris graduated from the Worsham School of Mortuary Science in Skokie in 1982. The school has since moved to Wheeling. After a year apprenticeship, Morris became a licensed mortician in 1983. Between then and '89, Morris freelanced at various funeral homes in Chicago, working with the embalming process, preparing the families and directing the services.

Changed forever
 

On July 1, 1994, Joliet's Eddie B. Edwards' life changed forever. Her 16-year-old son, Chris, and her 15-year-old godson were killed in a traffic accident on I-55 near Mount Vernon. Edwards, now 69, and her husband George survived the crash. Ten years earlier Edwards buried her mother-in-law. That service and those of the two teens were held at Minor-Morris Funeral Home.

"It was a mother's worst nightmare come true, having to bury a child," recalled Edwards of the accident that took her son's life. "Mr. Morris was simply excellent with both of our families. He handled the tragedies with the concern like the boys were from his own family. He used extra special care in consoling us. It made things much easier in an otherwise very difficult time."

"The untimely deaths of young people can serve to be the most challenging times for us," said Morris, a father of three. "We have to be strong for the families' sake and support them the best we can."

Times changing
 

Morris has noticed that times are changing in the funeral home industry. It used to be that the funeral home operations were passed down through generations to the males in the family.

"There are more women involved in the funeral proceedings today than ever before, especially since when I went to school" said Morris. "Women have always been more sensitive and understanding in the times of tragedy. It was just a matter of time before they became permanent fixtures in the funeral home business."

Morris added that 20 years ago two of every 10 funeral directors was a man. Today he believes that ratio to be 50-50, men to women.

'Very professional'
 

Arseola Heidelberg, 77, of Lockport lost her husband, Lemon, on Nov. 22, 2002.

"Mr. Morris was very professional," said Heidelberg. "He worked with my time and did so with much patience. Whatever we asked for with the services, he provided. I felt very comfortable with Mr. Morris."

The building that the funeral home operates out of was originally a private residence. Built in the 1893, it became a funeral home in the late 1930s.

The Minor-Morris Funeral Home has available two hearses, two limousines, one service vehicle, and one flower car that to lead the funeral procession. In addition to Morris and his wife, Deidre, four other attendants comprise the workforce at Minor-Morris. They assist in the services whether it be driving or arranging and transporting flowers from the funeral home to the church or to the cemetery.

Turned to for help
 

Three weeks ago, Reaneat Harper's mother, Hazel Taylor, passed away suddenly. She turned to Minor-Morris to take care of her mother's services.

"Mr. Morris was absolutely wonderful. He was very patient with everything," said Harper, 40, and a mother of two. I was very specific with certain things. My mom always braided her hair a certain way. Mr. Morris' wife, Deidre, fixed my mom's hair just how it was supposed to look. That personal touch added a lot."

Morris prides himself on handling each family in their own unique way, realizing that families have different needs, desires and budgets.

"I also wanted a special kind of lining in my mom's casket," said Harper. "Mr. Morris ordered the color I wanted right away in time for the services. He let our family take the time we needed and even lightened the mood when referencing my mom's picky nature. It was the first funeral I had to plan and Mr. Morris walked us through everything, step-by-step. We visited with one another and never felt rushed."

 

02/09/03