MORGAN FAMILY PART OF COMMUNITY ALMOST SINCE ADVANCE WAS FOUNDED

ADVANCE -- The Morgan family has been a part of Advance for almost as long as the town has been in existence.

From the time the first Morgans arrived around the turn of the century to open a general merchandise store and livery stable, the family has been involved in some kind of business and community activities.

Today, William H. Morgan Jr. carries on the family tradition of service as owner and operator of Morgan Funeral Home. He purchased it in 1979 from his father, William H. Morgan, when he retired. Morgan's father had taken it over from his father, LLoyd S. Morgan, when he died in 1952.

LLoyd Morgan established the funeral home in 1929 when he bought a business that conducted funerals and sold caskets.

Another well-known member of the family was LLoyd S. Morgan, Jr., who owned and operated Big and Friendly Morgan's Furniture Co. here.

Jack, as he was called, became known to everyone through his advertising as "The Man Who Ain't Mad At Nobody." At the time of his death in November 1987, Morgan was funeral director at Morgan Funeral Home, having retired from the furniture store and closed it.

William Morgan Jr. said the family takes its long tradition of service to the community seriously.

The tradition of service began when his great-grandmother and great-grandfather opened the general store and livery stable. They also operated the town's only taxi service. Morgan said they established a foundation for a bond of trust between the people and the Morgan family.

It all began not too long after Advance incorporated. Advance, first called New Lakeville, incorporated in 1883. The town lay two miles to the east of present Advance. It was named New Lakeville because water surrounded the small, sawmill settlement.

At the time Southeast Missouri south of Cape Girardeau was a swamp of virgin forests. About 20 years later the Little River Drainage District was formed, and the Castor River Diversion Channel was created to drain the area. As the supply of timber became exhausted, the sawmill moved along with the Houck Railroad two miles west, to what is now Advance.

In spring 1887 citizens petitioned the county court to disincorporate New Lakeville and incorporate the new town of Advance. As the town grew, so did the Morgan family's influence.

When Morgan Funeral Home was established, many funeral homes were owned by or closely associated with furniture stores. William Morgan Jr. said that was because, before mass production, cabinetmakers also built wooden caskets because no one else was better qualified.

Eventually, cabinetmakers became furniture-makers and undertakers, he said. Even after caskets were manufactured elsewhere, the furniture store-funeral home combination remained, he explained.

At one time, especially in rural areas, the only cemeteries were church or family cemeteries. Many of them had no perpetual care, and that's how the Morgan family became involved not only in the funeral business but a cemetery business as well.

In the 1920s the lack of a perpetually maintained cemetery in Advance prompted LLoyd Morgan to purchase a tract of land to the south of town. It is now Morgan Memorial Park Cemetery.

"When my Grandmother Morgan died, she was buried in Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau because the town did not have a cemetery with full-time care," he explained. "Grandfather then made sure the town would have a cemetery that will have perpetual care."

Morgan said he can still remember the not-too-distant past when the body of a family member was laid in state in the home instead of the funeral home, and the funeral was conducted in a church.

"Those traditions have more or less ended as funeral homes built chapels to accommodate all of the family members and friends," said Morgan.

Through the years the Morgan family also has served the community in other ways: some have been on city councils and school boards and have been active in civic organizations and work.

Morgan said it boils down to one word: Service.

"The community service and service we provide in business have enabled the Morgan family to keep the trust of the people of Advance that we have given for nearly 100 years," he said.