Established in Brooklyn, New York in 1888, by Joseph Morris, I.J. Morris Inc., was incorporated in its present form in 1929. Joseph Morris was a prominent citizen in early Brooklyn who owned and operated livery stables, furnishing horse drawn hearses and carriages for the conduct of Jewish funerals. When Jewish immigrants arrived in New York they organized synagogues, formed mutual protection societies, chevra kadisha or sacred societies to bury the dead, and purchased cemetery property. In those early years Joseph Morris recognized the commercial opportunity in securing an affiliation with these newly formed religious and secular Jewish organizations.

The original location was at Thatford and Sutter Avenues in the almost exclusively Jewish community of Brownsville, Brooklyn. Most of the prominent Jewish schools, yeshivas, rabbinical seminaries, and synagogues had their roots in the community serviced by I.J. Morris, Inc.

In 1928 the Morris family built the first formal, modern Jewish funeral home in Brooklyn. Prior to the opening of the new Morris funeral home, Jewish funerals were serviced and conducted at the family residence or in some cases at the synagogue. This modern facility enhanced the already pre-eminent reputation of the Morris funeral firm in New York City. In 1953 the Morris family opened the first Jewish funeral chapel in Nassau County, and has since been renovated in 1993. The Hempstead chapel is the only Jewish funeral home outside of Israel that has a custom made, stainless steel tahara table for ritual washing and dressing. In 1977 I.J. Morris, Inc. opened Suffolk County's first Jewish funeral home in prestigious Dix Hills. Finally, I.J. Morris, Inc. recognizing the need to remain in contact with their constituency who spend the winter in, or who relocated to Florida, established its presence in the exclusive Boca Raton, Lake Worth area.

The reputation and goodwill of I.J. Morris Inc., has been carefully stitched together over these past 111 years. During which time the Morris family has earned a reputation for fairness, honest dealing, sensitivity to special secular and religious needs, and professionalism. From the early 1900's continuing to the present time, the Morris family has conducted approximately 2500 funerals annually. The countless relatives, neighbors and friends who attended these approximate 200,000 funerals are part of the heritage of I.J. Morris, Inc.

I.J. Morris, Inc. continues to serve a wide and varied constituency and has assembled an outstanding staff of professionals to meet these needs.