History
Morales Funeral Home was established in Houston, Texas in 1931 by its founders, Felix H. Morales and his wife Angela V. Morales. Felix was one of five brothers who were all morticians, as they were referred to back then. In 1931, one brother had a funeral home in San Antonio and another in New Braunfels. Houston was open turf for the couple so they bought a used ambulance, hearse and family car from Felix’s brother in San Antonio and headed for Houston. They settled in the Second Ward community when they arrived.
At that time, the couple recalled that all the funeral homes were owned by “Anglos” and Hispanic funerals were usually handled in garages. It was during the depression and times were hard for everyone but that didn’t deter Felix and Angela from wanting to serve the Latino community as part of their business model. Their focus was to serve families and guide them through some of their most difficult days. At that time, many of the families served by Morales Funeral Home paid what they could in order to have their loved ones buried with dignity. Then in 1935, the Harris County Commissioners Court held an open bid to re-bury a graveyard where paupers had been improperly buried. The Morales Funeral Home bid on the contract and won. They were the first Hispanics to win a contract from the Harris County Commissioners Court to bury indigents.
That was the first of many “firsts” as the business continued to grow over the years. For instance, Angela V. Morales was the first woman in Harris County to earn a Mortician's License on November 13, 1942. This took courage and broke another barrier in the industry during a time where women were not traditionally in the forefront of the funeral home business. In addition, Felix Morales was the first Hispanic to be named to the Pasadena Hall of Fame and the family business was also successful in opening the first cemetery for Hispanics in Houston.
Felix and Angela Morales paved the way for other Hispanic businesses by making shrewd business decisions, having courage and tenacity. More than 90 years later, Morales Funeral Home has been able to remain relevant by staying true to its cultural history and its mission of serving others during their time of need.
Commitment to Community
In addition to running their family business, Felix and Angela had a passion for helping out the Hispanic community in the greater Houston area. They felt a sense of duty to give a voice to many who felt unheard in the community. Felix was well-known as an entrepreneur and civic leader and soon became a radio personality as his family reached their dream of having a radio station in Pasadena and built a studio behind their funeral home. KLVL-AM was founded in 1946 and officially went on air in 1950 and gave an important voice to Harris County’s Latino community. At that time, the Mexican community did not have an outlet for receiving and giving out news that mattered to them and in their language. The radio station was the area’s first Hispanic radio station and provided important time-sensitive information, including providing many Latinos with information about job opportunities and for many new immigrants, it provided information on how to integrate into the new American culture.
Felix and Angela also had a passion for helping youth in the community. Their philanthropy began by providing scholarships to various schools in Houston and Pasadena. However, they had a vision for having an even greater impact and increasing their philanthropic efforts. Therefore, Felix and Angela founded the Morales Memorial Foundation in 1993 to support Latino youth in Houston’s Greater East End. Since that time, the foundation has expanded its reach to serve all families in need within the area. The Foundation’s mission is to empower, inspire and educate the Latino Community for future leadership.
Every year the foundation hosts a “back to school” supply drive for local school children to receive over 2,000 complete school kits. During the height of the pandemic, our foundation partnered with local non-profits and the Houston Food Bank to host fourteen (14) drives where essential supplies such as food, diapers, milk, disinfectant, hygiene products, dog food and more were provided. In August 2020, the foundation raised over $36K from local businesses and donors to purchase computers for students at Navarro Middle School.
In addition, the foundation began a grassroots fundraising event in 2015 to raise funds for local non-profit organizations. Since 2015, we have raised funds for organizations such as Barrio Dogs, HTX Art, Emancipet, Anchored In Giving, and many others. One of the foundation’s newest initiatives is a “College & Career Day” that was created in 2022 for graduating high school seniors. The event allowed students an opportunity to connect with local organizations and universities. Many students were recruited on-site for a job, given scholarships from private donors, and other giveaways that included gift cards, laptops, and the grand prize of a new car.
The foundation’s focus and impact have grown over the years but has not lost sight of the mission of serving the most vulnerable in the community.
The Next Chapter in the Family’s Legacy
State Representative Christina Morales serves as the President, CEO and Funeral Director. At age 23, following the death of her grandmother, Christina assumed ownership of Morales Funeral Home. Determined to expand her commitment to the community where she was raised, Christina successfully ran for State Representative in House District 145 in 2019. Under Christina's leadership, Morales Funeral Home has become a Houston institution and a pillar of the Second Ward community.
After 91 years of serving our Latino community and staying true to its roots of honoring their legacy, Morales Funeral Home is excited to be expanding to its second location at 611 Little York Houston, TX 77076. The location is set to open in the fall of 2023.
Why Us?
In a nutshell? Experience, professionalism, compassion, and empathy.
We've learned a lot over many years. Like how to present options without overwhelming. And how to meet the needs of many caring parties. People come to us in difficult times, and we respond kindness, calmness and expertise. Our goal is to create a beautiful occasion and make you feel welcome, always. We spend our days planning with families. We stay up to date with industry developments. And we make hard times a little easier.
Explore Our Locations
See where we are and find the place that best meet your needs.
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Felix H. Morales Funeral Home
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Felix H. Morales Funeral Home - Northside
611 Little York Rd, Houston, TX 77076
