Funeral home is oldest black-owned business in Craven County

New Bern is home to Craven County's oldest black-owned business. The funeral home has served residents in New Bern and the surrounding areas for more than 90 years.

Rivers and Rivers Funeral Home, now Rivers-Morgan Funeral Home, was opened by Bishop Singleton Rivers and his brother James Darling Rivers in 1929 on West Street in New Bern.

In 1937, James Rivers began having health issues and sold his part of the business to his brother Bishop who then changed the name to Rivers Funeral Home. In the late 1940's, the business moved from its location on West Street to 1102 Broad St., a home built by Bishop and his brother-in-laws. The home also served as the family's primary residence.

"The left side of the house and the upstairs was residential," Gary Morgan said. "The downstairs right side was the funeral home. That was normal for funeral homes back then. Most owners lived in the same place as their business."

Gary Morgan is the current owner of Rivers-Morgan Funeral Home. He purchased the business from his mother, Barbara Rivers Morgan and grandmother, Blanche Rivers in July 2007.

Gary is the son of Leander Morgan Sr., who served as the city's first black alderman and first black mayor.

Leander Morgan Sr. and his wife Barbara relocated to New Bern in 1962 and began working for his father-in-law at the funeral home. A graduate of George Washington University, he worked as an educator and later served as principal at Duffy Field Elementary School. An incident at New Bern High School in the early 1970's involving his son Michael as the catalyst that jump started his political career.

While operating the family business, Morgan Sr. served as alderman from 1971-73 and again from 1981-83. In 1977, he was elected as the city's first and only black mayor. He served as mayor from 1977-79 and 1979-81. In later years, when the term changed from two to four years, he was elected for a third term and served from 1989-93. He passed away just six years later on Dec. 7, 1999.

Leander and Barbara Rivers Morgan were parents to five children, N.C. Superior Court Judge Michael Morgan, Attorney Lisa Morgan, Leander Morgan Jr., Mark Morgan and Gary Morgan.

Their son Michael Morgan was elected as the state's first black superior court judge in 2016.

In a previous Sun Journal article, Leander Morgan Jr. said his father began teaching him to embalm at the age of nine.

“When we were growing up there were people who were afraid of the building and then there were people who were afraid of us, they thought we were kind of weird,” he said. “But what we did never bothered me, I never had nightmares or anything. “I’ve never been scared of the deceased.”

Leander Morgan Jr. no longer works for the family business. He is the owner of Lee's Embalming Service. He is an independent contractor licensed with the State Board of Mortuary Science and contracts out his services with various funeral homes in eastern North Carolina.

More: Leander Morgan Jr. has spent a lifetime looking at death, and how the living carry on

Gary Morgan said his grandmother Blanche served as treasurer of the business for more than 80 years.

"My grandmother came to work on the day she died," he said. "She went to the bank and did other errands that day. It was almost as if she knew she was going to die because that day she made sure all of her affairs were in order."

Morgan said later that evening, in December 2010, his grandmother passed away in her sleep. She was 105 years old. Her husband Bishop Rivers preceded her in death in May 1993.

In 1980, the business moved back to its original location on West Street where it still remains.

Since taking ownership in 2007, Gary Morgan has expanded the business to include locations in Jacksonville and Greenville.

Morgan Funeral Home, Inc. is located at 150 Williamsburg Pkwy. in Jacksonville. Rivers-Morgan Funeral Home and Cremations of Greenville, Inc. is located at 190 Plaza Dr.

The New Bern office of Rivers-Morgan Funeral Home, Inc. is located at 701 West St.

For more information, call 252-637-5141 or visit their website.

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: New Bern is home to Craven County's oldest black-owned business